AGREEMENT ON FORM OF WEST GERMAN STATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 April 1949, Page 7

AGREEMENT ON FORM OF WEST GERMAN STATE

(Rec. 10.45 a.m.) BERLIN, April 25. The full and final agreement between the Western Powers and the Germans on the West German Constitution was reached tonight at Frankfurt. The announcement of the agreement was made by General Lucius Clay, United States Military Governor. The basis of today’s discussions between the Western Military Governors and the German leaders was a compromise proposal drafted by the Germans within 48 hours of receiving the Note and the Allied Foreign Ministers on April 22 offering more liberal terms within which to frame the Constitution. Subject To Approval The agreement announced by Clay is subject to official approval by the Bonn Assembly and by the Allied Governments, but these endorsements are regarded as hardly more than a formality. All the non-Communist parties- at Bonn were represented at today’s meeting. General Clay said tonight: “We have reconciled all the differences between the occupation Powers and the Germans on the West German Constitution. It can be expected that the Constitution, as passed by the Parliamentary Assembly, will be ready by. May 15. They should have a Government by the middle of July.” Details Withheld Declining to disclose the details of today’s agreement, General Clay said: “We have been doing a lot of talking and we do not want three or four different versions of our discussions getting about until we and the Germans have had time to prepare the exact wording and translation.” The British Military Governor, General Sir Brian Robertson, who declihed to discuss which details in the latest German draft had been changed in today’s discussions, said: “I think today is a rather historical day, rather a big day in the development of relations between the Germans and the occupation Powers.” He said that both Major German parties had made concessions. “I may say that the Military Governors have also been very co-operative.” General Clay gave this time table for the birth of the German Republic:

1. Approval of the final text of the basic law (Constitution) by the German Parliamentary Council by May 15.

2. Ratification of the basic law either the Land (State) Parliaments or popular plebiscite within two months.

3. Election of the Assembly by the Republic by July 15. 4. Termination of the Western Allied Military Government almost simultaneously with the election of the assembly. 5. The Allied generals are to be replaced by Allied High Commissioners. 6. The future Assembly will choose the executives of the Republic.

Berlin Not Included Berlin will not be included in the West German State, although this may be “an eventual possibility,” General Clay said. Asked whether today’s agreement closed the door to the possibility of four-power talks on Germany, General Clay said: “I don’t think it particularly changes the subject as far as the talks arb,concerned.” The Associated Press correspondent says that accord between the Western Allies and German anthjj Communists for a Federal' Republic ignored completely Soviet Russia, which occupies almost a third of the former Reich, with nearly 20,000,000 Germans. But the Allies excluded a divided Berlin from the Republic as at present envisaged, despite a strong desire by the West Berliners -to be joined with Western Germany politically.