Evening star., 1954-09-14
Dr.. Adenouer's Setback

4IleIe Is SOUle reason TO view WIN re-
serve the more pessimistic interpretations
that have been put upon the weekend
election results in SchlesWig- -HolStein, the
rural West German state close by Denmark
and bordering on the Soviet zone of occu-
patton After all, the farmers of this region
have had their worst crop year in gen.
Grafton, and that fact, plus other local
considerations, undoubtedly has had con-
siderable bearing on the setback suffered
by the coalition headed by Chancellor
sKonrad Adenauer's Christian Democratic
Union
Actually, although the Socialists have
gained a notable amount of ground in the
SchleSwig- -HolStein vote, Dr. Adenauer'S
CDU and allied parties apparently have
made a sufficiently strong showing to con-
tinue in control of the states government
True, they have done very poorly compared
to the support they won in the same place
in last years general election, but still they
have held on, and the local conditions
particularly the farmers economic reverSes
must be reckoned with before, one Jumps
to the conclusion that the weekend returns
are symptomatic of a powerful countrywide
trend against the pro-American, provost
ern policies of the Adenauer government.
Even so, however, the fact remains that
many seasoned German observers interpret
the Schleswig- -Holstein vote as a significant
measure of a new anti-Adenauer drift in
public opinion-a drift toward the Socialists
and other groups in the Bonn Republic
(incllding conservative and influential
politicians and industrialistS) who are
enamored of the "neutralist' idea that the
best way to promote Germany's reunifica-
tion,is through some sort of cultural, COM
mercial and diplomatic deal with Moscow.
The deal-aS advocated, for example, by
Heinrich Bruening, chancellor of the pre-
Hitler Reich-would be one in which the
West Germans, holding themselves aloof
from any alliance with the Atlantic Com
munity, would pretty much follow the
Kremlin's proposal that they take an un-
armed on-the-fence position (poised for
plucking by the Reds) between the Soviets
and free Europe
Such deal, of course, would be as
dangerous for Germany as for the West as
whole. But there nevertheless are more
than few Bruenings in the Bonn Republic
all of them anti ti-Communist-wh strong
ly favor this Self-deluding idea and who
have been winning adherents to it, Further,
as result of the French National Assem-
bly's defeat of the European Defense Com
munity, their voices have grown louder
than ever in support of "neutralism," and
their clamor may in fact have played sub
stantial role in bringing about the adverse
response to DR.. Adenauer's recent appeal
to Schleswig- -Holstein for vote of conf
dence in his policies
Accordingly although the results of a
rural state election can hardly be described
as clear evidence of national trend, this
latest test of popularity serves as SOLDERING
reminder that Dr. Adenauer's position is
less strong than it used to be. The scuttling
OF the EDO treaty has hurt him politically,
and unless the Atlantic powers can work
out some acceptable substitute for that
treaty, the West German :neutralists"-
even though they appear to be relatively
small minority right now-conceivably may
become powerful enough to defeat him and
reverse everything he stands for.