A decade after their Ruhr industrial empire was supposedly divided up to make its

restoration impossible, the Kru

régime.

pps today are even more powerful than during the Nazi

Which way West Germany?

By PHYLLIS ROSNER

W WEST Germany’s over Western Powers’ acquiesence

35 million electors vote on September 15 for their new parliament—their third since the end of the war—will cer- tainly affect East-West rela- tions and the chances of dis- armament and European peace.

On the eve of West Ger- many’s general elections in September, 1953 U.S. Secre- tary of State, John Foster Dulles said it would be “dis- astrous” if Dr. Konrad Aden-

auer were not returned to power. In the intervening period

Adenauer, relying on an ab- solute parliamentary major- ity, has more than fullfilled Dulles’ expectations.

His government has brought about West German. rearm- ament, entry into NATO and the decision to participate in atomic armament.

It has banned the Commun- ist party and persecuted other democratic organisations. It has an army, a state and ju- dicial apparatus riddled with Nazis. :

More than that, it has en- abled the huge concerns, the Krupps and Thyssens, the “Merchants of Death,” to ac- quire even more power than hey had before the war.

Certainly all this could not have occurred without the

and support..

Ww

The Ruhr cannon kings-and industrialists whose money paved Hitler’s path to power in 1933 did the’ same for Ad- enauer in 1953, and are doing it again for the forthcoming elections.

They have poured millions into the election funds of his party — the Christian Demo- cratic Union. They are thus taking out an insurance for their future — and especially their profits.

The Social Democratic par- ty, despite support. from the overwhelming majority of Western Germany’s six mil- lion: organized trade unionists, has only-a tiny proportion of the Christian . Demacratic Union’s funds at its disposal for the election campaign.

its

It is conducting its -cam- paign far more seriously, and in thousands of its meetings eandidates are arguing against a continuation of

Adenauer’s fatal anti-Soviet cold-war policy.

Originally, the Adenauer government consisted of a co- alition of four parties, the Christian Democratic Union, the German, Free Democratic and Refugee parties. However, Adenauer’s uncompromising cold war policy and his auth- oritarianism caused the latter two parties to withdraw from the coalition.

Largely for the same reasons Adenauer’s vote in provincial parliamentary elections has dropped over a third in the last four years compared with his vote in 1953.

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The present West German parliament is dominated by

the Christian Democratic Un- ion, which has 253 members. The Social Democrats have 153 members;; the Free Demo- crats 37 members. The Refu- Zee party has 37, after 15 of its former members broke away to form the Right-Wing Free People’s Party Group.

~ The German party has 17 rep-

resentatives in the present parliament. ae It is a parliament: of direc-

tors (85), business (104), large landowners (47), officials and

officers. (110), with only a handful of craftsmen and workers.

By contrast, just over the border, in the German Demo- cratic Republic, representa- tion in the People’s Chamber is: 222 workers,, 39 landown- ers, 63 office workers, 38 crafts- men and 38 members of the professions.

The candidates standing this time for election to the West German* Bundestag for the reactionary parties are just about of the same calibre as those now in parliament.

Among them are such peo- ple as Prince Christian zu Schaumburg-Lippe, formerly Goebbel’s adjutant and Hitler’s ambassador in Rome,. Prince von Bismarck and a whole host of former Nazi Wehr- macht officers and officials.

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Since the last election the Adenauer majority has intro- duced no fewer than 75 am- endments to the -Electoral Law, all designed to help its return to power once again.

It had alre&dy introduced before the 1953 elections the restrictive 5 percent clause, laying down that only those parties receiving at least 5

percent of the total vote are~

entitled to representation. This resulted in 1953 in 1,800,- 000 electors — among them over 600,000 who voted for the Communist party — not being represented in the pre- sent parliament.

As a result. of the 5 percent clause the small parties, in- cluding the progressive parties

such as the League of Germ-.

ans, have very little chance of returning’ candidates to

parliament. The main fight is

between Adenauer’s Christian Democratic Union and the So- cial Democrats, with the Free Democratic party aiming to play the role of “Third Force.”

Soviet diamond fields huge

/MOSCOW

'y bases SUS from the newly-

started diamond mines in Western Yakutia are expect- ed to make the Soviet Union one of the biggest diamond producers in the world within the next three years.

Plans haye been worked out for Soviet diamond pro- duction to reach ten million carats by 1960 — roughly half the present world output.

Survey work has shown that huge diamond fields exist in six areas of the Western Ya- kutia, and that two of the areas alone can fully meet So- viet requirements for indus- trial diamonds in the immed- iate future.

The diamond content of the Mir and Udachnaya mines is said to be in no way inferior to that of the world-famous South African Premier, Jag- erfontein and other mines.

The proportion of gem dia- monds in the Yakutia deposit

are said to be higher than the two percent in the diamond mines in the Belgian Congo. Production plans provide for supplies to be made available for ‘the industries of all the European Peoples’ Democra- cies and China. This will make the socialist countries inde- pendent of South African and Brazilian sources for supplies of industrial diamonds.

{35 It may well be-in the strom position of ‘being wooed Mf

either the Christian Dem) cratic Union or the So Democrats to join a coal

tion. The Free Democrats yet! towards a policy of intem*)

tional relaxation, and in do mestic affairs they stand @ unlimited free enterprisé “all fields. ‘

The Christian’ Democrats

lip service to the idea of peat’ |

the

ful reunification, but

policy «is directed to just they

contrary. ; They want Western Gel® any to remain in NATO. phe) want to put the clock back Europe. They believe in ~ enterprise and ,inner freent through private property-

Ww

As the second largest pol

tical force, the Social Dent crats command the support ‘ all those wishing to see Ad, auer’s monopoly broken a change in West Germa? policy:

The party’s election f in domestic affairs is ‘Seq ty for All,” with stabilizal of prices, tariff reductio®

more equitable distributio? |

property and “democratic trol” of mining and ato industry. St

In foreign affairs, the i cial’ Democrats. demand ny national relaxation, neg, tions with the Soviet Un on creating a European ©) lective security system, ‘ehh they support, as a first ‘io to disarmament, an inspect zone in Europe. we the!

They have promised it

come to power, to repegy She :

scription in the ede public, and they oppose } val ern Germany being edquit®,

iY with atomic weapons oF ee :

acd ry stationing on German ®

tory. : Rank-and-file Social De ¢rats rightly criticise the id erings of some of the ‘net wing leaders on some. of ine issues, The criticize, “yy party’s: election _prograyy the cause it does. not call fo

slog! :

PT

nationalization of West ~ many’s basic industries. Nevertheless,

are hoping for a Social eratic victory and an & the rule of Adenauet!: “Tast of the Mohicans ° Cold War,” as he has called. Pt The banned West Gé& 4! Communist party has iss’ 9 statement warning the ple of West Germany ¢ vote for Adenauer will vote for*“atomic death. at Being unable to present je didates itself, it urges the ofl torate to vote Social ~

d

pa! pe

crat. oe he To unseat Adenauer ih ‘

enough, the party points To ensure a basic chang i government policy there, to be a Social Democratic V? and a government led : cial Democrats. re Social Democrats at© ag) ed to urge upon their 14 that they solemnly unde! i if they win the elections; eh , to form a coalition with % auer, but to form one

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on the support of the “get working class and all © | cratic forces.

August 30, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAY

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