TUMULTUOUS SESSION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 293, 23 September 1949, Page 3

TUMULTUOUS SESSION

GERMANY’S NEW PARLIAMENT

Blows Almost Exchanged

(N.Z.P. A.—Copyright)

(Rec. 10.30 a.m.) BERLIN, Sept. 22

In a tumultuous session of the German Republic’s young Parliament at Bonn to-day, frequent references were made to former German territories.

While they made no outright demands, several minor party members talked of German ties with Austria and Czechoslovakia’s Sudentenland and parts of Poland. They pinned their remarks to the statement by the Chancellor, Dr. Adenauer, on Monday that the Republic would press “in lawful manner” for the return of territories held by Russia and Poland east of the Odei’-Noisse line.

The boisterous proceedings came near to blows when two Germans recently returned from Russian prison damps forced their way past the guards and rushed on to the floor of the House in tattered uniforms to refute pro-Soviet utterances of the Communist deputy, Max Reimann. One of the soldiers, after showing Parliament his worn clothing, said: “If I could reach Reimann I would twist his neck.”

A bedlam of shouts broke out while another Communist delegate, Heinz Renner, shouted: “This is an organised propaganda campaign.” Before this interruption Reimann had advised delegates to accept the Oder-Neisse line, which forms Germany’s eastern border.

Other delegates had said that the territory that is now part of Poland should he returned to Germany.

Scores of angry delegates banged their desks and shouted, “Pfui” (for shame) and started a mass walk-out as Reimann spoke.

Dr. Adenauer persuaded delegates to return, to their seats only after much shouting. At this stage one of the ex-Russian prisoners said: ‘T was taken prisoner by the Russians at Stalingrad. I have no home and nothing to eat. Then to hear this man talk this way about leaving German territories under Russian control.”

“Hall Desecrated”

After he had restored order, the Bundestag president, Erich Koehler, said: “A majority of this House has shown by its demonstration that it does not regard the Oder-Neisse line as final.”

The Right-Wing German Party deputy, Johann Christian Ewers, earlier set the House in an uproar when he referred to the West, German flag of black, red and gold as having “a yellow stripe.” Amid outbursts, President Koehler shouted: “The constitutional colour’s tife black, red and gold. I am not willing to permit any other description of these colours.”

Ewers, in his address, said: ‘’Austria is German land. We reject the apeing of foreign democracies—whether they come from England, America or France. We want a German democracy.”. . „ Ewers added: “The way to w.m German youth is not with slogans but discipline.” -• Dr. Adenauer, who took the floor after Reimann, said: “I regret that this hall and this speaker’s rostrum and Germany’s interests have been desecrated in this manner.’’