The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-05-26
PEACE
SIGNED
u. S., Britain, France
Sign Unique Pact With
West Germany Making
Former Enemies Allies

west germany Making
Former Enemies Allies
BONN, Germany P-The Allied
West German Peace Contract tc
ally West Germany with the free
world was tremendously signed
here today by Chancellor Konrad
Adenauer and the foreign minis.
tiers of the United States, Britain
and France.
AS silent crowd of several hun
bred Germans stood -roped off in
the rain outside the West German
Parliament building, the four men
put their pens to the historic pact
In the Bundesratsaal, the chamber
of the upper house. About 500 spec
tators watched inside the room.
The peace contract, which faces
high parliamentary hurdles before
ratification can make it effective,
gives West Germany near sover-
eighty in exchange for German
troops in the projected European
army.
Before the signing, Adenauer
spoke briefly and Frances Iobert
Schuman replied for himself and
the other two Allied signers-
Dean Acheson of the United States
and Anthony Eden of Britain.
The chancellor hailed the peace
contract as work which will
help preserve the peace and free
dom of the whole world" but ''only
a part of a work which will be
completed tomorrow in Paris when
we sign the European Defense
Community Treaty"
THE completed work will Sc
cure peace and freedom for Ger
many" he continued. "And here
today We Germans also think of
our brothers in the East (Soviet
Zone). We send them our greet
ingS and our deepest assurances
that this work is the first step to-
ward the Identification of all Ger
many in peace and freedom.
Across the Iron Curtain Pravda
the Moscow mouthpiece of East
Germany'S Russian Communist
controllers, saluted the pact with
another blast at the fatal, anti
national policy OF the Bonn govern
ment of Adenauer which is trying
to transform the Germans into can
non fodder for the American i'm
perialiSts.
/ Eden was the first to sign the
contract, followed by Schuman and
AcheSon. Last came Adenauer, the
76-year-old chancellor foreign min
lister who through eight months Of
negotiations mas fought TO regain
his vanquished country's place in
Europe and to align it with the
Western world. p
The four ministers completed the
contract Sunday after long hours
of negotiations to overcome 18th
hour French objections.
In doing so they ignored new
Russian demand Sunday the
third in three months - for a
four-poWer conference to write a
peace treaty for united and
completely sovereign" Germany.
But observers here thought the
new Russian note would strength
en- the hand of powerful opponents
of the peace contract in Germany,
France and Britain.
Before it takes effect. the Vests
contract must be ratified by the
u, S. Congress and the Parlia-
ments of the other three countries.
Ratification will mean long and
bitter debate, especially IN Bonn
and Paris. where there is strong
opposition.
The contract removes most occu-
patton controls from West Ger.
many and gives to the as million
Germans west Of the Iron Curtain
as much sovereignty as the West
ern Allies feel they can concede.
| II opens the way for West Ger.
many to rearm and join In the de.
Tense of the free world through
the related European army treaty
scheduled to be signed in Paris
on Tuesday The Germans still will
not be permitted their own national
army but viii furnish troops 10
the projected international force.
| Schuman's government almost
upset the proceedings with a last.
minute demand for a guarantee 10
prevent a rearned Germany quit
ting the proposed European army
and again menacing her ncighboys.
Schuman repeatedly vas salts.
fed by Acheson offer that Presi-
dent Truman would write Congress
promising measures ~ prevent any
member nation breaking aw az
from the European amy 10 set
up as a militarily independent p1s-
er. II remained 10 be seen whether
this wo9ld satisfy the apprchen
siye French Parha mcnt.