The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-02-01
At 81 = A Crisis
Adenauer
Has Big Test
This Year
BY Father Placid Jordan, o.s.B.

BONN, Germany - After sue
cessfully steering the German
ship of state through more than
seven stormy years, Chancellor
Konrad Adenauer will face the
stiffest test of his career when
this country's voters go to the
polls in next September's gen.
eral elections.
The eighty-one-year-old head
of the Christian Democratic party,
who is one of Europe's outstand-
ing Catholic political leaders, will
have to face this test at time
when his own party's strength is
declining and that of his main OPP
ponents, the Social Democrats, is
on the rise.
A Social Democratic victory in
the elections would be likely to
have far reaching consequences
not only in world affairs, but also
in regard to Catholic education in
Germany. The Social Democrats,
as compared with the Christian
Democrats, are outspokenly secu-
lartstic and oppose the school pro
visions of the German concordat
with the Holy See, which is based
on the right of parents to deter
mine the kind of education their
children should receive.
AS the election campaign gets
under way. the Christian Demo-
Gratis downward trend - which
has been noticeable for some
time - has been confirmed by
recent municipal elections in five
of western Germany's states.
Political analysts here sseribe
this trend TO three causes:
The younger generation is re-
luetans 10 serve in the armed
forces.
The price level for consumer
goods is rising.
There is a drag in social leg
islafion.
On all three counts the Social
Democrats believe they have
something to offer. They are
against rearmament, prom c
heavier taxation of higher in
comes and advocate more even
distribution of the N alton $
wealth.
"Neutralism" is the catchword
by which they hope to point out
the possibility of Germanys be-
ing reunited without being tied
to either the West or the East.
The past year has been the
most prosperous for western Ger
many since the war. Employment
has risen beyond the 18 million
level. Unemployment is inSignifl-
cant. The gold and dollar reserve
has passed the three billion mark
Exports are booming The Saar
with its great industrial wealth,
has just become the tenth west
ern German state.
Nevertheless a large number
of voters would like to see a
change of regime, at least to the
extent that the Social Democrats
Join the Christian Democrats IN
a coalition government. If this
should prove to be impossible
politicians visualize a deal be
tween Social Democrats and Free
Democrats, with the help OF some
of the minor parties. This would
mean the exclusion of Chancellor
Adenauer's party from the gov
ernment, as has happened in Ba
varia where the Christian Social
Union was denied membership In
coalition of the Social Demo
Gratis and the Bavarian party, both
hostile to Catholic predominance
in politics.
However, great many things
can happen in the months ahead
Chancellor Adenauer has moi
even begun rolling up his sleeves
Historians point out that Glad
stone once was reelected as Brit
ish Prime Minister at the age oi
SO. So the grand old man of Bonr
may again outrun all other candi
dates for his office.