SPSS+I RETR SEVERELY Ss NSWERING a journalist on West German television who had asked him whe- ther it might not be wiser to prohibit the National Democra- tic Party (NPD) in West Ger- many in view of foreign public opinion, Chancellor Kiesinger’ said: “Whether this Party can be banned depends on its pro- gram. I personally believe that a-precipitate ban would not be the right answer.” Prior to this, Minister of the Interior, Paul Luecke, had contended: “There is not enough material on hand to substantiate an application to forbid the NPD.” On principle there are in fact no essential points of differ- ence between the opinions of the “national democrats” and the declaréd policy of the Benn government. The NPD program, adopted on November 12th, 1967, set forth: “We urge resistance against every renunciation . . . No one, no government and no party must give up the claim to the Sudetenland.” NPD Chairman Adolf von Thadden said in Hanover: “The German frontiers shall not lie in the places they lie today. His- tory does not wait for those who hesitate.” - Speaking at the Third Con- gress of the Ostdeutche Landes- vertretung in Bonn on April 29, 1967, Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger stated: “My Govern- ment will not--heed those who advise it to resign itself to ex- isting conditions. My Govern- ment is not a government of illusory. renunciation.” The “defence policy .theses” to the NPD’s new party program besa protesting. ‘that ‘the churches in the country are not deca with the real problems of the day. One of these is the immo- tality of capitalism. They have offered this version of the Lord’s Prayer as one | Way of making their point: ve capital, which art in the West, amortized by thy investments; Thy Profits come, Thy interest rates rise in Wall — as they do Cie us ‘this day our dsily turnover, : __ ened extend to us our _powe re the last 20 errs Mannan. : call for the formation of a “Ger- man General Staff’ — the goal, too, of a group of the top mili- tary of the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces). Speaking during the defense debate in the Bun- destag (West German parlia- ment) in early December 1967, Minister Schroeder said: “Ger man industry is now being in- volved in arms production to a greater degree.” This fully meets the demand presented .in the already mentioned “defense so’ vy theses” that “the German H 1, 1968—PACIFIC TRIBUNE— armed forces shall be equipped by the German armament in- dustry.” The fact that the neo-nazi party not only applauds the “Big Coalition’s” eastern policy, but even declares that it father- ed the idea of this policy, must indeed give food for thought. The Deutsche Nachristen, the central organ of the NPD with an approximately 80,000-circula- tion, wrote on February 3, 1967: “(With its ‘eastern policy) the present Federal government is pursuing a demand the NPD al- ready. proclaimed at its first Na- tional Congress in Hanover in 1965.°The NPD is satisfied that the active policy for Eastern Europe it launched: is now push- ing forth its first new buds.” It is but a logical corollary that both the West German ‘‘na- tional democrats” and the Bonn government refuse to recognize the German Democratic Repub- lic and do all they can to ob- struct the signing of the non- proliferation treaty tabled by the Soviet Union. The far-reaching identity of essential elements in the poli- cies practised by Adolf von Thadden’s party and the Kies- inger - Strauss - Wehner govern- ment also contradicts those people who belittle the danger inherent to the neo-nazi move- ment in West Germany. One . needs to remember that 40 years ago, when Adolf Hitler’s party was forming its ranks for the “march on power,” there were quite a number of people in Germany and elsewhere who Said: Well, they’re just a small group of madmen. Don’t take them so seriously, German de- mocracy is strong enough to cope with them. The same ideas are being voiced again today. But these voices cannot silence the ter- rible memories, nor can they lessen the extreme concern at West German developments. More than 1.2 million people voted for the neo-nazis during the 1966-67 Landtag elections and the NPD subsequently sent 48 Deputies into the West Ger- man provincial parliament. It is even more alarming that this party need not even fight for power positions in the adminis- tration, the army, the police and the judicature since many of them are already occupied by the “old comrades” who stem from Hitler’s day. All the top-level Bundeswehr posts are held down by former Hitler Wehrmacht staff officers. Two thirds of the select leader-- ship of the Bonn Foreign Office consist of experts who once served the power machine of the nazi dictatorship. About 800 public prosecutors and judges who used to work for the Hit- ler regime now “administer jus- tice” in the West German judi- cature. The terrifying picture of an extreme right-wing, nationalist West Germany where the re- sounding trumpets of the neo- nazis let the crumbling pillars of democracy come tumbling down is. emerging on the not- too-distant horizon. Minister Franz Jcsef Sirauss, whom many iook on as the new strong man of the Federal Republic, declared: “The NPD is not in a state today that I would say is ready for coalition.” Today—but what about to- morrow? Page 8 West Berlin security police, armed with water cannon and directed by Com- mander Hans-Uulrich Werner (shown at photo right talking with Lord Mays of Berlin) attacked a de- monstration protesting the Greek military take-over. eee Te Te ee -broken up by about a thousand “monstrators was well coordin disicaay-neviiiiinaneannr Police andl FW] demonstration A demonstration of thousands] ) of West Berliners and Greeks) living in West Berlin, protesting ‘outside the Greek Military mis: sion against the dictatorship the Greek military junta, was’ police using clubs and_ hig powered water guns, on Febru: ary 3. 3 The police attack on the de ated, and so it should have bee! The whole operation was undef the personal command of West. Berlin Senator for Home Affaifs and Lord Mayor of West Berlin, Kurt Neubauer, and Commande Hans-Ulrich Werner of the West Berlin security police. Werner has a lot of past eX perience in this type of work. He learned his job well, when i was appointed in August, 19 as first staff officer to the Hitler SS and police commander in UP") per Italy centre. He was respon" sible for the planning of the aC") tions of the country constabul-; ary and the police commandos: against the civilian population: | He’s not an official nazi now, but he’s still doing a good job.