The Press THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1953. Dr. Adenauer Speaks Confidently

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27147, 17 September 1953, Page 8

The Press THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1953. Dr. Adenauer Speaks Confidently

The confidence with which the German Chancellor (Dr. Adenauer) discussed’European affairs with the “Daily Mail” correspondent is presumably in large part a result of his striking personal election success a week before. It is to be hoped that there is more substantial ground for it, important though that success was. Dr. Adenauer’s assumption that Russia would accept the invitation to a Four-Power conference at Lugano next month was less interesting that his seeming belief (to support which there is yet no evidence) that Russia is getting ready to retreat from her advanced positions in Europe. On election day Dr. Adenauer spoke confidently, not of the unification of his country but of “ the liberation ” of East Germany. A week later he had set his' sights higher and was talking about the lost provinces beyond the Oder as though there would be no

difficulty in realising German aspirations. Incidentally, his references to these eastern territories as “ceded” was a little curious, since the cession was purely an art of the Communist Government of East Germany in anticipation of a final peace settlement. Of more obvious importance was the bland confidence of Dr. Adenauer that these eastern territories “ could become the sub- “ ject of a gentlemen’s agreement “ between Poland and Germany ”, which left completely out of reckoning the most significant fact in Eastern Europe today—the Red Army. Last year there seemed a possibility that Russia, as a last resort, might offer to restore the western territories in a bargain with a neutral Germany; but events in the interval, and particularly the German election, make this seem almost impossible now. In any case, Dr. Adenauer was not thinking of a neutral Germany but of a strong Germany leading a reluctant France into the European Defence Community. Though there may be some reason for Dr. Adenauer’s hopes, it is not easy to imagine that there will be much progress at Lugano while the secret struggle for power in Russia continues. Perhaps he is looking a good deal further ahead. Ultimately, Russia will have to relinquish her grip on Eastern Europe. Although it would be ■pleasant to think that this time will come sodn, some better indication than the opinion of Dr. Adenauer would be needed. It would also be agreeable to hope that when that time does come Germany will be as good gs Dr. Adenauer’s promise that “oh fib account do we envisage a “ solution [in the eastern provinces] “fey War". The attitude of Russia and the satellites will be greatly influenced by the extent to which they accept German sincerity on this point. Nothing would do more to help Russia maintain her influence in Eastern Europe than fears of German irridentism, fostered by the miHions of refugees from east of the Oder. In the long run Germany’s eastern frontier is likely to be one of the most difficult of all European questions.