Evening star., 1961-09-16
Adenauer's
Political Fate
Awaits Vote


want new men and fresh ideas
lin government or a continual
ton of Chancellor Konrad
Adenauer's free enterprise pol
icies and mo experiments"
An estimated 80 million West
Germans will choose 494 men,
bers of the New BundeStag,
the lower house of Parliament.
At IS. Mr.. Adenauer has led
his people from postwar ruins
to prosperity-yet the major
issues are domestic and not
foreign policy.
Discussion on foreign affairs
will come in West Germany
after the elections when the
negotiations with the Russians
on Berlin are expected to start
in earnest. West Germany's
allies have avoided making any
major new proposals on Ber-
lin for fear of seeing their
ideas become political foot
balls in the campaign that
closed today.
Seeks Fourth Term
Against Mr.. Adenauer is the
Social Democrats candidate,
Willy Brandt, a national hero
as the Mayor of West Berlin.
But Mr.. Adenauer is generally
regarded as having an even
chance of winning his fourth
term. .. ASH
Despite his age, Mr.. Adenauer
has carried his campaign to
most of the big cities, making
brief but frequent sorties from
his office in Bonn. His big
theme has been peace and pros
perity under his chancellorship.
mo experiments" is his
motto.
Like a wise grandfather, he
has urged the voters not to
abandon the free enterprise
system which has brought about
the recovery Of West Germany
from the devastation of World
War II.
BY contrast, Mr.. Brandt, a
vigorous and handsome man of
Al, has offered a 4-billion-mark
Isl billion program to turn
the country into a welfare state.
He calls for a new style" to
put all the nations physical
and mental resources to work.
Mr.. Brandt has toured thou
sands of miles, letting himself
be seen, to play up the con-
trast between his youth and
Mr.. Adenauer's age. While al
ways protesting respect for the
chancellor, he has made it plain
he considers Der Alte" ready
for retirement, too self-willed
and worn out. to lead West Ger
many through the hard days
ahead on the international
scene.
leo Shift of Policy
Hurting Mr.. Brandt has been
the Social Democrats shift on
basic issues. After years out of
power, the party has changed
from one representing the
workers to one with a program
aimed at all classes. Its for
mer opposition to West Ger
many's close ties with the
North Atlantic Alliance has
turned into unqualified support.
Despit the economic mir
acle," the Christian Democrats
cannot rule out some discon-
tent. There is a classroom
shortage. Roads are made
quate and West Germany has
the highest accident rate in
Europe. Wages seldom top 900
marks ($150 a month.
The consensus is that the
Christian Democrats will lose
some seats in the Bundestag,
where it has 281 against the
Social Democrats 168, The Free
Democrats have 43.
The big question for Mr..
Adenauer is whether the loss
will be great enough to do away
with the absolute majority. If
that happens, he is probably
through.
A coalition government would
have to be formed. The Free
Democrats then probably would
have the balance of power, and
they have vowed never to join
an Adenauer one-man type of
government and insisted that
he insult be replaced by his vice
chancellor, Economics Minister
Ludwig Erhard.
Should the "old man" try to
hold his party in line, its mem
bers could be faced with a coali-
ton between the Social Demo-
Gratis and Free Democrats. Mr..
Brandt removed the last major
obstacle to this yesterday by
announcing he would change
his party'S program to suit any
l. L L - 4 l. Il l.