Evening star., 1955-02-17
Germans Bent on Reunifying;
Alternative Is Just as PeriIous
Continued From First Page,

AIreTnouNe is /.
Continued From First Page.)
have plagued Europe for genera
tions. Most observers here are
convinced that the enthusiasm
was quite sincere and that the
Germans were prepared to sacri-
fee a great deal to make the
Community work.
Emotional Vacuum.
The death of EDO left an emo
tional vacuum which the new.
more modest plan for a Western
European defense organization
has failed conspicuously to I'LL.
Paradoxically. perhaps, the Ger
mans take small comfort from
the thought that under Western
union they would be subjected
to fewer controls than under
EDO and would have a national
army Of their own. What they
wanted was European integra-
ton. And having been disillu-
stoned by the death Of that ideal,
they turned quickly to another.
The speed and intensity with
which the issue of German re-
unif1cation has taken hold here is
the supremely important poll
tical fact in Germany today. It
has changed the focus Of political
thinking and submerged the idea
of Western unity to the point
where ratification OF the Paris
treaties is becoming virtually
incidental to the attainment of
the larger objective. It Is an
issue which no German politician
can ignore and one which many
are not even sure they can
ultimately control.
Some try to discount the in-
portance of the reunification
issue as politically inspired. It
is true that the average German
at this point is less excited about
reuniting his country than the
politicians would like to make
out. The average German is still
concentrating on his private life,
building a house. buying a Volks-
wagen and securing his slice of
the booming national economy.
Key Plank.
But the politicians are under
ne illusion about the future.
They are convinced that in the
next elections the reunification
issue will be the one sure touch
stone of success. What started
out as the talking point Of the
to embarrass the
government is now the key
plank in every political platform.
In the Bundestag-the German
parliament - at youth rallies
throughout the country. at polit-
ical mass meetings. both sides. |.
are tanning the spark as hard
as they can. The trade unions
are pushing the issue actively.
The Protestant Church. mindful
Of the fact that a majority Of
Its former parishioners are now
behind the Iron Curtain, is TAX
ing an important part in the
campaign to stir UP national
sentiment.
There are few things in Ger
many today that I'd care to bet
On" one veteran observer told
me. rBut reuniflcation is one
of them" ~
The question is how. ira
Once the objective is defined, |
course must be charted. And |
the course that is emerging from |
he confusion and debate here |
n Bonn is startling in its sirn-
,lications.
To begin with, all Germans ac-
.ept the fact that reunification
IAN come about only with the
agreement Of Russia. At this
point at least they firmly rule
out the thought Of ever being |
able to reconquer their lost ter
.itories by force.
The alternative is negotiation. |
And once the idea of reunifying
;he country is accepted as the
supreme national objective, ne
yotiation with the Russians takes
N an entirely new meaning.
One thing is quite clear: Near
y all Germans have long since
ost faith in the traditional west
IN bromide that reunification
nay somehow be achieved by
means of negotiation from
trength." So far as the Germans
,an see there will never be enough
military strength in Western Eu-
ope to frighten the Russians into
,ulling out of East Germany
The Germans. in fact. would be
he last people to want such q