| OCR Text |
Show EDITORIAL: The Battle Of Western Germany The foreign ministers of the United States, Great Britain, and France, at their meeting next month, must reach some semblance of agreement on the western German problem. Even though the western powers disagree dis-agree as to what is now happening happen-ing in western Germany, their representatives do recognize that pre-war Nazism is again taking root in what was once part of Hitler's Third Reich. Former Hitler collaborators are now occupying high positions, posi-tions, both in government and industry- The cartels, outlawed by the American military government gov-ernment three years ago, are now in evidence and more powerful pow-erful than ever. Even the western wes-tern German press has resumed its campaign of race-hatred and anti-semitism. But the big question mark is Chancellor Adenauer, a man the western powers once thought would be a willing ally, but who has now rejected Anglo-American advice to avoid frightening the French, and is now espousing espous-ing German re-armament. Adenauer knows how to win the confidence of foreign powers. pow-ers. Educated in the traditions of the old German imperial society, so-ciety, his administrative career goes back to the first World War, when he was elected vice-major vice-major of Cologne. He remained in municipal service until Hitler forced him out. Until the eve of the collapse of the Weimar republic, he was president of the Council of the Prussian state. He has often been called a combination of "half fox, half dictator," a good example of a dry-cleaned Hitler. His attitude is that of all western Germany toward the West: first a display of disarming humility, then an attitude of virtual equality, and finally evident arrogance. Getting away with his argument argu-ment that the Saar should be returned to Germany, Adenauer now proposes German rearmament. rearm-ament. He now asks that western wes-tern Germany be authorized to handle her own defense after failing to obtain the West's promise for defense of the fatherland. fa-therland. At the moment, three hundred generals, under the direction di-rection of the two ranking survivors sur-vivors of Hitler's former army, Field Marshal Guderian and Chief of the General Staff Von Haider, are preparing their strategic stra-tegic plans. At their meeting the foreign ministers should take sufficient time off from the war of nerves with Russia to stage a thorough airing of the western German problem, which could, in time, develop into another cold war, if Germany is allowed to again rearm a s she did following World War I. GWH |
