DR. ADENAUER IN AMERICA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27011, 10 April 1953, Page 9

DR. ADENAUER IN AMERICA

Foreign Policy Talk To Journalists (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 8. The West German Chancellor, Dr Adenauer, who is discussing the Saar and other questions with the Eisenhower Administration, said today that the Saar population must decide its own status by free elections. He emphasised this in an address to the National Press Club. Dr. Adenauer said it was wrong to generalise that Nazism was rising in the German Republic. “Naturally there are still a few diehard National Socialists in Germany,” he said. “But a few Nazis do not by a long .sight make for a German people controlled by National Socialism.” Dr, Adenauer challenged the new Soviet Government to prove the sincerity of its peace offensive by permitting free elections for all Germany, and by the release of 300,000 German prisoners of war now in the Soviet Union.

The Chancellor discussed the implications of the era which began with the death of Stalin, and said he saw no evidence of a change in Soviet foreign policy. Stalin’s death had led to an era of uncertainty in internal and external politics of Soviet Russia and those now in power were seeking ways to avoid internal unrest and external disturbances. “No Convincing Evidence” “Up to the present I can see no convincing evidence of any change from the former course of Soviet foreign policy,” he said. “One must watch developments with an open mind, but also with caution. One should not reject everything at the very beginning. On the other hand one must be careful not to help in a possible attempt to weaken the unity of the West in its stand against Soviet Russia. “The West must pursue its proposed policies steadily, consistently, and calmly. This is the most promising way to maintain peace and freedom and to help Europe in its necessary development.”

Dr. Adenauer made a strong plea for European unity and said that the idea of a United States of Europe had fired the imagination of German youth. He said he was sure that the promotion of European unity would lie approved at the next German elections.