No Danger From Right Seen In West Germany

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 5

No Danger From Right Seen In West Germany

Dr H. A. Wuttke, a West German banker, said in an address in Christchurch yesterday that the significance of the emergence of Right-wing elements on the German political scene should not be exaggerated. Rightists and nationalists might attract a small following, he said, and might even get a few seats in Parliament in the next elections. But there were Right-wing movemenu in all countries. “We are not over-estimating them,” he said, “and we don’t want our friends to over-estimate them.” He said that Germans were afraid that when one or two Nazis appeared the world might begin to say, "Here it all comes again,” but this danger did not exist The German authorities and the courts paid close attention to such political undercurrents. “Perhaps we are too suspicious,” said Dr Wuttke. "Anyway, we are watching it closely.” He said the modern West Germany did not want its achievements to be crushed by political experiments. Dr Wuttke, who was talking to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, was asked if there was any real hope of unifying East and West Germany. “I don’t see a chance," he replied. “There might be some trade relations established in the future, and visits betwen families, but I don't see any chance in the political field—not as long as the ‘issue of Germany,’ to quote Tito, is of any interest to the two world powers.” Dr Wuttke said that West

Germany had embarked on a new policy with East European countries, and trade relations had been established with some of them.

But it would not be possible to achieve closer relations with East Germany and Poland. If there was any “softening-up” in East Germany, the Communist Government would fold up from one end of the country to the other. Poland would be affected, too, he said, and that would be the end of the Eastern satellite bloc.