Evening star., 1953-06-07
Unifying Germany Won't Be Easy


is divided into IA Bezirke or dis
trictS, named after their principal
cities. In the process, such ancient
historic names as SaXony and Thu
ringia were cast overheard.
First Problem
Thus the first problem inherent
in proposed unification would be
the administrative structure of East
ern Germany. If added to the
federal republic as q whole, it
would make too big state, larger
than any Of the nine now existing
in the West, thereby inevitably
arousing fears of predominence.
The IA districts, on the other hand,
are too small to be turned into adj
ditional Laender. What then? Shall
Eastern Germany's administrative
setup be revamped once more? Or
should a return to the old organiza-
ton be attempted?
Both portions of divided Germany
profess to be democratic" repub-
lies, but their Interpretation of the
true meaning of democracy is poles
apart. While Bonn adheres to the
classical concept of parliamentary
democracy. Eastern Germany in re
cent years has been transformed
into a So-called peoples democ-
racy," lie. Communist dictatorship
disguised under deceptive parliament
tary trappings.
How is the long and persistent
process of indoctrination to be un-
done? How deep a mark has Com
munist schooling and military train
ing in the peoples Police" left on
Eastern Germany's youth? How
long will it take before the thou
sands of East German civil service
men, police officials, trade union
leaders and so forth can be trusted?
Economic Field
In the economic field, the diff
Guilty of finding a common denom-
inator is truly appalling. The dras-
tic land reform of 1945 has radically
changed the face of Eastern Ger
many. The former large land hold
ingS have been cut up into mostly
small farms, grouped together in
agrarian co-operativeS. Tens of
thousands of landowners and "big
peasants" have fled to the West.
If the country is reunited, they will
clamor for the return of their prop
critics. The new settlers just as
insistently will fight for their right
to stay.
The same. towering problem will
arise in industry and commerce. In
all but a few unimportant lines of
production, Eastern Germany'S
mines and factories were expropri-
ated after 1945. They have been
converted into Soviet-run corpora
tions, people owned plants" or
have been placed in the care of trus-
tees designated by the regime. Most
of the larger stores also were taken
over by the Communist government
and turned into af1iliates Of state
owned trade organization.
Maybe capitalist and Commu-
mist Cor, as Eastern Germany Of
ficially labels itself, a Socialist So
ciety can co-exist-but can they be
welded together into an integral
whole? And, if one is tb be peace
fully absorbed into the other, who
can say that the incongruous morsel
can be digeSted?
Bonn Stoff at Work
These are not just theoretical
speculationS. For quite some time,
the Bonn Government has had a
sizable staff of experts trying TO
work out acceptable solutions for
each of the thousand land -one prob
lens of unification. So far, the an
swerS-it any have been found
are locked up in desk drawers
stamped TOP Secret" or the Ger
man equivalent of it.
When and if Western and Eastern
Germany are reunited. another no
less formidable problem looms just
around the corner A hint of it may
be found in pamphlet just issued
by the Bonn Ministry for All-Ger-
man Affairs"
It is all wrong. this publication
suggests. to refer to the Soviet cone
of occupation as Eastern Ger
many" Rather, it should be called
Central Germany" For to the east
of it, there are other provinces.
now under Polish administration,
that once belonged to the Reich and
some day again will. Maybe.