The Gisborne Herald IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1950 FRENCH AND GERMANS GET TOGETHER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23271, 5 June 1950, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, MONDAY, JUNE 5, 1950 FRENCH AND GERMANS GET TOGETHER

The cordial reception given by Dr. Konrad Adenauer, head of the Government of Western Germany, to M. Schuman’s scheme for the integration of the French and German steel industries must l)e due in part to the difficulties which his Government and his country are facing at present and to the detestation he has for Russian communism. From it he may hope to regain the lost Saar coalfield and a respectable place for Western Germany in the Western European group of nations. After the defeat of Germany in 1945 that country was divided up into zones of occupation, the intention being that there should be a centralised administration operating from Allied Headquarters in Berlin which lay well within the Russian occupied area. This scheme soon broke down and was followed by the unification of the western areas held by British, American and French forces. This became known for a time as Trizonia and was divided up into some dozen States for which Parliaments were elected and Governments set up. In this can be seen the centuries old French policy of keeping the German nation weak by appealing to the local patriotisms which have always divided, for example, Bavarians from Prussians.

Dr. Adenauer’s Task Eight months ago a Federal Government was set up and a good many mattei’S previously handled by the Allied commanders were committed to its care, subject to the overriding authority of the Allied High Commissioners who were then appointed. In the elections the Conservatives gained a majority of one over a largely Socialist Opposition, and Dr. Adenauer took up his unenviable task. He was faced with a large volume of unemployment due to a great influx of refugees from the east, to loss of markets behind the Iron Curtain, to wartime devastation and to the Allied policy of dismantling industrial plant which might enable Germany to wage another war. The refugees came largely from the far eastern districts which were incorporated into Russia and Poland and from which the new owners forcibly expelled the existing German inhabitants. The result -was a2O per cent increase in the Western German population in a period of five years. The trade of the industrial Rhineland was naturally with Eastern Germany and South-Eastern Europe, and this was disrupted by the cutting off of the Russian-occupied countries from the west. It was the manufacturing cities which had been pounded by English and American bombers, and the factories which had escaped destruction in this way were later often marked out for dismantling, since iron, steel, chemicals and engineering shops are all part of a war potential.

As a further result of all this there is an appalling housing shortage, accentuated by the demand for accommodation for the armies of occupation. Large numbers of German families are still finding shelter in caves in the rubble of ruined buildings. France insisted also on the amputation of the richest German coalfield in the Saar Valley. This is purely German in population but lies on the French border. Lorraine has plenty of iron ore but lias always had to import coal for smelting. The move strengthened the French economy but was impossible to justify on principle and ■was a bad blow both to German industry and German national pride. Early this year it threatened to embitter further FrancoGerman relations and perhaps to make Dr. Adenauer’s position impossible with his own people. Few Young- Experienced Administrators

The Government itself is badly handicapped by the constitution under which it operates and by the inexperience of its members. No one who had been active in the Nazi Party can lie a candidate for election and this, in fact, excluded any German who had had experience of administration in the past 20 years. Dr. Adenauer himself is 74. Since the State Governments have been in operation for some time they have acquired considerable independence, are very strong in relation to the Federal Government, and are very jealous of their privileges: Because the Upper House of the central Government consists of their nominees they are able to veto anything of which they disapprove. A Legislative Council consisting of county council chairmen might be expected to add interest to New Zealand politics.

For some of these difficulties M. Schuman’s plan would provide a solution. Presumably, France would not object to the return of the Saar to Germany. Dismantling would definitely cease and most of Western Europe and French Africa would he a market for German heavy industry. This would break the back of unemployment. National pride would be salved by the inevitable acceptance of Western Germany into' Western Union and the Atlantic Pact. Finally, these countries would be committed to the permanent defence of the Elbe frontier against the Russians and a Western German army might lie expected to be formed to take its part.

Dr. Adenauer’s followers hate their follows who hold office under the Russians. At some time Germany will again be united and their time would be short if the East were to swallow up the West. For these excellent reasons the relations of France and Western Germany are better today than they have been for almost a century.