Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-28
Adenauer Supporters
Claim New Mandate
For Pro-U. 5. Policy
BY the Associated Press

oO4N4NS 0OA AA0A4JB OAAAS SO'
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer's
supporters claimed fresh man.
date. from the German people for
his pro-American foreign policy
today after the nations first po-
litical test of 1854.
But the opposition Socialists
claimed Mr.. Adenauer'S Christian
Democrats suffered a political
setback in the election yester-
day Of a new 200-rnember Parlia-
ment in the state of North
Rhine Westphalia. home Of the
industrial Ruhr.
The Socialists based their claim
on the fact the Christian Demo-
Gratis (CDU) and their partners
in the coalition state govern
ment, the Centrum (CentriSt)
Party, fell two seats short Of an
absolute majority.
May Enlarge Coalition.
To increase their voting
strength of 80 CDU deputies and
8 Centrists, Mr.. Adenauer'S party
was expected to enlarge the Goa
lition to include some of the Free
Democrats, their partner in the
national governing coalition who
won Is seats in the state Parlia-
ment.
The christian Democrats
(CDUD rolled up 2.855.672 votes.
or Alb per cent of the total of
6.921. 739 valid ballots.
The Socialists. bitter oppo-
nents of the Chancellor's Euro
pean unity policy, polled 2,387.-
O69 votes GAS per cent? and won
rs seats. The Communists, who
had held IL seats, lost them all.
Mr.. Adenauer's Christian
Democratic Party headquarters
here promptly hailed the result
as "a positive development for
the CDU's foreign and domestic
policies"
The Socialists retorted that the
Christian Democratic CentriSt
coalition lost its majority in
Parliament while the Socialists
picked up eight seats. In the
outgoing larger Parliament the
two parties had 100 of the ZIG
seats.
Most foreign observers here
agreed the election showed this:
Mr.. Adenauer's party retained
its position as the strongest poll
tical force in the nations biggest
state. But it failed in its aim of
winning an absolute majority as
it did in the federal Parliament
in 1853.
The fact that the Chancellor
retained the hard core Of his sup
port in this election should help
him regain the political initiative
after a series of setbacks in the
foreign policy field. The 78-year-
old leader has been having q
rugged time, even with his own
coalition supporters.
In recent weeks he has had to
deal with a rising clamor de-
handing that the allies give
West German full sovereignty at
once, instead of waiting for rat
ification of the European De-
tense Community as provided in
the allied-West German peace
contract.
The chancellor told the voters
he believed the Germans should
be given sovereignty in the near
future, but he refused to waver
from his support of EDO at the
present time
Aided by Dulles.
Secretary of State Dulles
aided Mr.. Adenauer's campaign
last week by saying he believed
the Germans should be given
bach their sovereignty if the
French fail to ratify the EDO
soon.
The six EDO nations plan a
conference IN the army plan in
Brussels next month. Mr.. Aden-
auer already has vowed he will
not consider any alternatives to
the pact.
Soviet-occupied East Germany
began a three day plebiscite last
night on The European army
plan. Thirteen million voters
plus youths between Is and 18
are voting IN this question:
Are you for . peace treaty
and withdrawal of occupation
troops? Or are you for the Eu-
ropean Defense Community
(EDC) treaty and West German
peace CONTRACT and Stationing of
occupation troops for so years?"
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