FIRST GERMAN CABINET IS RIGHT WING

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 September 1949, Page 5

FIRST GERMAN CABINET IS RIGHT WING

BERLIN, Sept. 20 (Rec 11 a.m.).— The first Cabinet of the new. West Gerrfian Republic, officially appointed today, is a Right-wing coalition. .It comprises Christian Democrats, including Dr Konrad Adenauer,? the Chancellor, three Free Democrats and two members of the German Party.

They are all firm believers, in -the free enterprise economic system and a democratic form of Government. The Finance Minister is. Dr Fritz Schaeffer and the Minister of the Interior is Dr Gustav Heinemann. The Federal President, Dr Theodor Heuss, received the Ministers today and handed them their portfolios. A Policy Speech In his policy speech to Parliament today, Dr Adenauer declared that Western Germany would never renounce its claims to the territories east of the Oder-Neisse line." The

West German Government, -he said, would send memorandum to the Allied Governments protesting, against the occupation of thei territory by Poland. • ' . Speaking in a quiet voice and almost wtihout emphasis—in -marked contrast to the manner in -which Adolf Hitler made his territorial- demands —Dr Adenauer described the expulsion of Germans from the territory as “in direct conflict with the Potsdam agreement” which...gave Poland the territory.” “Not Yet Free” ... “The German people are. not yet free,” he said. “They do not have equal rights with other people, What is most painful is that our land is divided. “But at least.we may enjoy relative political freedom. Our economy is prospering and, above all, "J human rights are protected here once more. Nobody amongst us can be deprived of life or freedom by the Gestapo, or similar institutions, as is still.the. case in a large part of Germany.”;. Dr Adenauer said the denazification trials would now cease.