Adenauer Attacked In Bonn Parliament

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28920, 13 June 1959, Page 13

Adenauer Attacked In Bonn Parliament

(Rec. 10 p.m.) BONN, June 12. The leader of the West German Socialist Opposition, Mr Erich Ollenhauer, last night launched an attacjc on Dr. Konrad Adenauer’s decision to stay in power and said the German people did not want a one-man system.

Recent events had ruined confidence in the democratic basis of the West German State, Mr Ollenhauer told the Bundestag (Lower House).

Dr. Adenauer, defending himself, said it was the highest principle of democracy to respect the individual conscience.

To the charge of power-seeking. Dr. Adenauer retorted: “You, too, have the will to power. Why then accuse me of it?”

The 83-year-old Chancellor gesticulated as he spoke. He pounded the rostrum as he said he had stood up for democracy under Nazi persecution. Dr. Erich Mende. for the Free Democrats, a smaller Opposition group, said the Opposition did not propose a vote of no confidence because they knew there was not a single man in the Christian Democrat Party willing to stand up against Dr. Adenauer The West German Economics Minister (Dr. Ludwig Erhard) will make a statement today giving his version of the events leading up to Dr. Adenauer’s decision to remain as Chancellor. Discrepancies in varying accounts of what information ’Dr

Adenauer had given his Cabinet colleagues in recent weeks led to noisy scenes during the debate in the Bundestag when Social Democrat Deputies shouted: “Who is lying?”

Dr. Adenauer said he had informed his Cabinet—including Dr Erhard—on May 14 that his resolve to become President tjad “90 per cent, disappeared.” Dr Erhard, who was sitting beside the Chancellor in the crowded chamber, gave a start of surprise at this. Dr Karl Hohmann, chief spokesman of the Economics Ministry, said later that the minute of the May 14 Cabinet meeting contained no record of Dr. Adenauer’s remark. but the Interior Minister (Dr. Gerhard Schroeder) told the Bundestag that Dr. Adenauer had indicated his intention to a small circle of Ministers on May 14. The Chancellor also told the Bundestag that he had two detailed talks with Dr. Erhard—“as between party friends”—before the Minister left for America on June 1, but observers noted that Dr. Adenauer did not say whether he had discussed his change of plans in these talks or not.

Dr. Hohmann said afterwards: “Dr. Erhard left for America in the knowledge and consciousness of the fact that the ‘Chancellor would remain by his decision to become President.” He said Dr. Erhard’s statement today would “clear the whole thing up” and that he did not think Dr. Adenauer’s statement would lead to a reopening of the differences between the two statesmen.

“Strike Looks Inevitable”

LONDON, June 12.

Printing unions and employers were deadlocked this week in a nation-wide printing dispute which threatened to close nearly 4300 general printing works and 1080 provincial and suburban newspaper offices.

The 10 unions involved, representing 200,000 workers, have threatened to strike unless the employers meet their demand for a 10 per cent, wage increase and a 40-hour working week.

Last night the general secretary of the Printfrig and Kindred Trades Federation, Mr George Eastwood. said a stoppage beginning from next Wednesday night “looks inevitable at the moment.”