Evening star., 1952-04-27
Dr.. Adenouer's Dilemma

Chancellor Adenauer of the Federal Ger
man Republic, a strong and proved friend of the
West, is walking delicate political tightrope
these days. Accordingly, his words and his deeds
must be looked upon with an understanding
sympathy and given all proper consideration in
the continued shaping of Western policy toward
the German question.
Two current problems have placed the Bonn
Chancellor in this difficult position. One is the
cleverly timed and devised Russian proposal for
German reunification and rearmament. The
other is the deepening friction with France as
to whether the rich Saar Province is to be
French or German.
On it's surface, the Russian proposition is
an extremely tempting one to the German peo-
pie. Considered apart from it's sinister details
it bangles before the Germans the prospect of
united and independent country, free to revive
its industry and its trade, and permitted to
build military strength that could play large
part in further bargaining over the nations
future. ...
DR.. Adenauer and those of his countrymen
who are informed and realistic are well aware
that the objective of the Russian proposal is to
block the Tightening association which is de-
veloping between the Bonn Republic and the
Western powers. They place in appropriately
Objectionable perspective the Russian conditions
lOI al eIllOTCeO Neutrality OI uLlIleQ germany,
the fixing of eastern frontiers which would leave
the Oder-Neisse territory permanently within
Poland, and the absence of any guarantees that
an alderman election to precede unification
would be genuinely free. But while these are
conditions which most of the German people
would also find Objectionable, they are unfortu-
nately overshadowed by the broader mirageS of
unity, independence and rearmament.
Earlier this month, the Chancellor scored
significant victory for his own point of view and
that of the West by winning from the Bundestag
approval of his intent to give completion of the
contractual agreements with the West priority
over the reunfcation issue. 1t is, of course,
priority only in sense of timing since no issue
can take lasting precedence in the German
mind over that of national unity and inde-
pendence. .
Meanwhile, since the Bundestag VOTE which
came on April 3, Moscow has repeated with only
minor variations its original proposal, and anti
Western influences within the Bonn Republic
have carried on an increasingly intense cam
paign. On Thursday one of the leaders in DR..
Adenauer's own Christian Democratic Party went
on record as supporting four power negotiations
on German unity and the Chancellor followed
that same evening by making similar sugges-
tion. At the same time, the German leader re-
minded his countrymen that the West had had
ample experience with Soviet sabotage in four
power consultation and he reaffirmed his de-
termination to proceed with plans for formal
izing the contractual arrangements between the
republic and the West
It is difficult to see how any German au-
thority could be more staunch in standing by
the West. To ignore completely the Soviet siren
song, or to minimize the German hunger for
unity and independence, would invite political
disaster. Much depends upon the diplomatic
ingenuity of the Western powers in dealing with
this Russian maneuver, and in resolving such
collateral irritations as the Saar dispute