Evening star., 1955-02-28
German Arms Pacts
Move 10 Upper House
After Bundestag Vote
sx.hs Assoeiaisd Press


BONN, Germany, Feb. 28.-
National rearmament treaties to
Join half a million West Ger
man soldiers to the 14-nation
Atlantic defense forces moved
today to Parliament's Upper
House. Final ratification is ex-
pected there within three weeks.
Parliament's Bundestag .(lower
house) voted for the four inter-
locking treaties last night after
"a hours Of grueling debate that
dragged through four days.
The vote overwhelmingly IA
vored the Western alliance. The
House also agreed reluctantly
under Chancellor Konrad Ade-
nauer's dogged insistence-to
Europeanize the coal-rich Saar
that Germany has lost twice IN
world wars.
House Holds to Stand.
Holding to the stand it had
taken in the crucial semifinal
reading earlier yesterday. the
House voted this way last night
on the rearmament treaties:
The key accord to end the
Western occupation Of West
Germany, restore its sovereignty
and lift the ban against rearma-
ment-324-151.
To authorize the United
States, Britain and France to
station 100000 troops in the
Bonn Republic-32l-153.
The joint bill to admit West
Germany to the North Atlantic
Treay Organization and the
West European Military Union
.-314-157.
Approved by I Nations.
Seven of the IA NATO nations
have approved German rearma-
ment.
The French National Assembly
approved it under former Pre-
mier Pierre Mendes-France, but
Frances upper house has to give
final approval. It could delay the
process by sending amendments
back to the Assembly. but
Frances new premier. Edgar
Faure, has promised to push
through ratification.
Italy's ratification is in the
final stage. The remaining ma
tions are sure to approve but are
hanging back to see what France
does.
The prospects of French ap-
proval were not improved by the
German parliament's attitude to
the Saar agreement.
Opposition to separating in
definitely the disputed German
speaking border territory from
Germany provoked a split in
the ruling Adenauer coalition
and also aroused strong disap-
proval from the opposition So
cialists.
Supplementary Motion Passed.
BY arguing that West Ger
.many's comeback depended on
this sacrifice. Mr.. Adenauer
wrung q grudging 263-202 ma
jority for the pact.
But in apparent appeasement
;of the coalition rebels. the lower
house approved by a show of
hands a supplementary motion
Affirming that the agreement
does mot affect that attachment
of the Saar to Germany"
The resolution also demanded
full political freedom in the Saar
before and after the Saar-
landers vote on the "Europeani-
zation" statute. It said that the
European commissioner to be
appointed by the seven nations
in the WEU must guarantee this
freedom.
Bitterness of the Saar dispute
repeatedly provoked Vice Chan
cellor Franz Bluecher to frame
a letter to Mr.. Adenauer Offering
his resignation from the cabinet.
MIR. Bluecher was the only Free
Democrat minister to vote with
Mr.. Adenauer on the Saar.
Even If the French act quickly,
1859 Is the earliest estimated
date by which German divisions
can be ready for combat.
A mass of legislation has to
be passed by parliament to en-
able the first volunteers for the
professional nucleus to be called
to the colors early in 1856. Then
the first draftees would be called
UP in the summer Of 1857 for 1e
months OF training. o