Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-10
'NeutroIize' Germany?

bN0AkGAtI&S
1t is not surprising that many West
Germans are again speaking out in favor
of neutrality. The idea has had rather
widespread support over there ever since
l945, and Its present revival is UNDER
Standable, and even natural, for a num-
Der Of reasons. One Of these is Cham
cellor Adenauer's impending trip to
Paris for NATO's summit" conference.
Another is the advent Of Russia's Sput-
niks. And third. the chief stimulator
of the current debate. is George F. Ken
mans recent suggestion that Bonn might
be wise to withdraw from the Atlantic
alliance and seek Germany's reunifica-
ton as "neutralized" power.
However, although Mr.. Kennan
commands great respect as an Ameri-
can expert on Soviet policy, 1t is safe
to predict that his views will have no
mentS to the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization. This is so, for one thing.
because just few months ago-in the
September general electionS-the Ade-
nauer government won its most re-
sounding political victory to date on
platform unequivocally espouSing full
West German adherence to the alliance.
The Social Democrats, who hemmed and
hawed on the issue. had "neutraliSt"
support, but they were pretty much
showed under-a fact indicating that
the advocates of neutrality constitute a
relatively small minority in free Ger
many.
But 1t is not only for this reason
that Chancellor Adenauer and his cab
met are likely to pay scant attention to
Mr.. Remnants suggestion. After all, what
are the Kremlin's terms for Germany's
reunifcation? They include the fol-
lowing: III Bonn must quit NATO forth
with; (2) there can be no free elections
to unite the country; (3) instead. the
Adenauer government must negotiate
with MoScow's puppet East German Reds
to form a coalition regime of the type
that dragged Czechoslovakia behind the
Iron Curtain az when and II the pres
ent partition ends. the resulting nation
must be virtually unarmed neutral"
dllQ WI bAAlo IdblOLlp WkllCAl tIluo WOulQ
become acutely vulnerable to an even
tual Communist take-over, would there
after depend for its safety on a so-called
pan European security system that
could hardly escape being dominated by
the Soviets.
Small wonder, therefore. that DR..
Adenauer. after having looked closely
at all this. has warned that German
naturalization :. would in relatively
short time permit Soviet Russia to ex-
tend her power over all Of Western
Europe" Moreover. wholly apart from
that particular danger, 1t is difficult
to see how reunited Germany-with
its dynamic population Of more than
20 million, its formidable industrial
strength and its highly strategic geo.
graphical position-could ever be truly
neutral 1t Is not like Switzerland or
Austria. Its very nature. the place where
1t is and the power inherent in 1t would
seem to impel it to play an active and
major role. not passive or minor one,
in the affairs of Europe and the world
at large.
There is still good reason to hope,
OF course, that craftsmanship will ulti-
mately succeed in working out formula
capable Of reunifying this cruelty parti-
toned country in a way that will be
mutually satisfactory to the Kremlin
and thesWest-a way that will guar
antee everybody'S security and bring
into being a decent and enduring peace.
But that time is not nearby. and only
the wishful will think otherwise. Mean
while, barring a far-reaching change
for the better in Soviet policy on the
question, any agreement to "neutralize"
Germany would be supremely danger
Gus snare and delusion for free men
everywhere.