Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-11
BY MARGARITA DoBERr

While the day Of German uni
hcation continues to be the subject
Of international speculation, Ger
man optimists are doggedly prepar-
ing for the morning after.
And with Chancellor Konrad
Adenauer In Moscow last week to
discuss unification. the morning
after might be coming closer.
Since l049. the Bonn govern
ment has had . Ministry Of All
German Affairs which helps and
co-ordinates the many groups work
ing for unif1cation. This ministry
In turn organized in 1852 an Advi-
sorry Research Council, located in
Berlin and stated largely by East
German exiles. The council studies
the problems which would arise on
the day Germany Ii reunited.
These problems would be Of trul,
gigantic dimensions and Of every
complexion: Legal, economic, polit.
ical. psychological.
Somewhat similar problems arose
when the Maxi regime ended. But
there was an outside force which
imposed the necessary transitional
directiyes. Germany had collapsed
and while she was reborn In new
shape. authority rested with the
occupying powers.
This time. once unifcation were
agreed upon internationally, East
and West Germans themselves
would have to carry 1t out. In many
respects they have become strangers.
Political
West Germany Is q federation
OF nine Laender. East Germany's
i've Laender do not exist any
longer. They were dissolved In
1852 and replaced by IA districts,
each one in turn cut UP into many
subdivisions. to give the central
government total power.
In the West. there are about a
dozen political parties, i've Of them
represented In the Bundestag In
Bonn. In the East there are i've
parties in name. But for all prac-
tical purposes East Germany Is a
one-party state. with the Social
Unity Party alone in evidence.
Unification would mean general
elections, o new national assembly,
Q new constitution, q new set of
laws. It is generally believed that
q UNIFIED Germany would have a
small number Of Communists, in
flnitely smaller than italy or France.
But would the Eastern voters swell
the party Of the Social Democrats,
thus upsetting Chancellor Ade-
nauer's delicate balance Of power?
Economic
West Germany has experienced
the most spectacular comeback eco
nomically. with prosperity benefit
ting all members Of society. In the
East. the upper classes were ruined,
while workers and peasants have
had to pay for their newly won
prestige with drastic RECOMMENDATION,
affecting every aspect of their lives.
West Germany is q free capital
list society, East Germany q rigidly
controlled economy, functioning
within the framework Of q five-year
plan. Fifteen per cent Of its indus
trial capacity Is controlled by Soviet
shareholding companies, 81 per cent
by nationalized firms. Only 23 per
cent remain In very small" private
hands.
While restitution Of property in
q unified Germany might be COM
paratively simple in the case Of
nationalized industry, 1t presents
tricky problems in agriculture.
The big country estates were cut
up in l948 and given to small hold
ers. These in turn have been
forced since 1852 into co-operatives,
often the first step toward total
collectivization. Many Of these
small farmers are refugees from
the provinces lost to Russia and
Poland.
Proposals have been made to
compensate the original landown-
srs With money and u leave the