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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 1957)
Sunday. January 27, 1957 MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVE Reunification of Germany; Chances Of European Peace Discussion Topic (Editor's note: This is another in the series of discussions in the "Great Decisions . . . 1957" program now underway in Jack son county. The topic today dis cusses German reunification and chances for real peace in Europe.) can Europe get together? In its essence, the European policy of th United States is fo cused on the future of Germany. That's the thesis of M. S. Han dler, bureau chief for West Ger many for the New York Times since 1952, and a European cor respondent for American news media since 1941. Writing in the Foreign Policy association's "Headline Series" bulletin. Handler pointed out that 1957 will be a critical year in German-American relations because this is a general election year in West Germany. Laans Toward U. S. The Christian Democratic par ty, now in power under Chan cellor Konrad Adenauer, has traditionally leaned toward the United States' view of the Euro pean situation. But, Handler pointed out, "in the West Germany general elec tions of 1953 Chancellor Ade nauer carried the country on if iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii fXXY"j (Ml liM'l. .V."..V.Y...1 ftljo Claimtd jvy..v"-V T 6crmj Foreijn Policy Association Incorporated DIVIDED EUROPE The map above shows international organizations and areas claimed by various European nations. The map was prepared in connection with the "Great De cisions . . . 1957" program in which German reunification and chances of real peace in Europe are discussed. The map shows NATO nations, and countries of the Warsaw Pact. sion that would restore the Ger man question to its proper place, galvanize the West Germans and armico thoir nt h i miasm and nn- wave of enthusiasm for Euro-1 ljtical COmbativeness." pean unity. This enthusiasm was ,, . , . . , focused nr. th- Eurnnpan nPfn i The second decision suggested Communitv fF.nr, treatv " Rt ! bV Handler is that American of- that treaty was killed by the French national assembly, and UL'ith its Hpmico (ha iaalietin nii. ture of European unity began to ! thouSn " may succeed Ade" disintegrate mto one where na-inauers group tional interests were again par- "The Social Democratic case amount. ! against the United States gov- Adenauer did succeed in Ret- i ernment," Handler reported, "is ting West Germany into the i based on three main points: all these countries as well as Germany be declared neutral." A few days later Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, Minnesota Demo crat, suggested a buffer zone be tween East and West in Europe, and "prescribed limitation" on ficials establish closer relations I military forces of both sides, with the Social Democratic par- j Satellite Problems ty. which at this point looks as ! In making the proposals both NATO alliance. But Soviet doc trine then stated that reunifica-1 tion of East and West Germany 1 would be impossible after West Germany has aligned itself mili tarily with the West. And reuni fication is, for the Germans, the number one objective. Public opinion polls taken in Germany in July, 1956. showed that the Social Democrats had overtaken Adenauer's Christian Democrats in partv preference, and that the "undecided" vote had swelled to 21 per cent. Altrd Situation 'Thus." Handler pointed out, "United States policy may have to take Into account the possi bility of a radically altered po litical and psychological situa tion in West Germany by the autumn of 1957." The Social Democrats, who appear to be ahead in the run ning now, are not anti-Western. They are, however, willing to re examine Grmany's role in NATO, and they are definitely pledged to abolish military con scription. This would make it al most physically impossible for the federal republic of West Germany to provide the half million men it has promised to NATO. "There is no doubt," Handler said, "that the first task of Unit ed States policy in this present fluid stage is to answer the charge that it has permitted the German question to fall into abeyance . . . that it is giving lip service to reunification and. American refusal to consult them as a loyal opposition should be consulted; the state depart ment's interference in the 1953 general elections on behalf of Adenauer, and the exclusive pa tronage given to the chancellor on the theory that he alone rep resents the German people." Two Key Events Two key events in January, 1957, may forecast whether Eu rope remains divided indefinite ly into two hostile armed camps, or starts on the road toward genuinely peaceful co-existence between East and West. Jan. 2 President Dwight D. Eisenhower agreed to "study" a Russian disarmament proposal which would, in part, reduce Western and Russian military forces in Germany and ultimate- j explode into senators had in mind Russia's satellite problems in Eastern Eu rope. Revolution in Hungary, economic setbacks and the high cost of maintaining Russian troops in the satellites have been suggested as good reasons for Russia's readiness to discuss troop withdrawals. A danger signal was raised by West German Foreign Minister Heinrich von Brentano during the December meetings of the NATO council in Paris. If satel lite unrest spreads to Commu nist East Germany, von Bren tano warned, there would cer tainly be "incidents" in Berlin and on the East-West German borders. Any one of these inci dents could set off World War III. Immediate negotiation with Russia has, therefore, been prompted by two different ap proaches: First, that Russia is weakened and ready to talk: sec ond, that satellite unrest, espe cially in East Germany, could Iy in all of Europe. Jan. 7 Russia and Communist East Germany called for "a col lective security system in Eu rope" which would involve re ductions in troop strength on both sides. There is nothing startling new about these ideas. For several years East and West have debat ed arms control and inspection, whether or not a reunited Ger many should be allowed to join the Western military alliance, and on what terms Western and Eastern Europe can coexist peacefully. Settlement Possible What is new is that for the first time Western leaders are openly speculating that a settle- Considering' Proposals Although Washington is "con sidering" Russian proposals and will make new proposals of its own before the UN disarma ment subcommittee, probably in March Secretary of State John Foster Dulles made it clear in a December 18, press conference that he does not see "any present likelihood" of an East -West troop withdrawal as a step to ward German reunification and a general European settlement. Neither Secretary Dulles nor Senators Flanders and Hum phrey are willing to consider finally, that it Is only interested ment of this kind might be in West Germany as a jumpmg off place for attack against the East." Concrete Moves The Times bureau chief sug gested two concrete moves which could be made by the United States immediately. One would be moving the federal government of West Ger many from Bonn to West Berlin which Handler calls "a deci- worked out Sen. Ralph Flanders, Repub lican of Vermont, suggested in December: "Let us gain West Germany's consent to neutraliza tion in return for reunion. Let us propose that the Soviet gov ernment withdraw all of its troops from East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hun gary, while NATO withdraws its troops from West Germany. Let i precious lunch-hour until she S0"y t" odd to her sov.ngs f t.me to aoo and con v-oil J"dT.r credited box .S our.";:;ktoher prompt , PWtyoutry.t". Current Dividend FIRST FEDERAL Savings & Loan Association of Medford 29 North ivy Street R. F. Kyle, President Magazine Dealer Acquitted Friday Salem (UP) Salem mag azine dealer Claude Cummings was acquitted Friday night of charges he distributed indecent literature. The jury deliberated about 9V4 hours, including time it took to read George Sylvester Vierick's "Men into - Beasts," a pocket-type book which was the basis of the trial. Circuit Judge Val T. Sloper instructed the jury to read the 25-cent book before returning a verdict. The trial lasted two days. Earlier Friday. Judge Sloper overruled a motion of defense attorney Bruce Williams to dis miss the case on grounds the "rand jury indictment was faul ty. The judge said that even if the book were fact as alleged by Williams instead of fiction as stated in the indictment, there was still ground for trial on a misdemeanor charge. The book was an autobiogra phical account of Vierick's ex periences in a federal prison. Another Salem magazine deal er. Jack St. Clair, was indicted on a similar charge last Nov ember, but trial resulted in a hung jury- The trial was the first test of Oregon's obscene book statute. The Dalles Woman Sentenced to Prison The Dalles (U.R) Mrs. Jean Olson, 24, The Dalles, was sen tenced to four years in the state penitentiary Saturday after n'eading guilty in Wasco county Circuit Court of starting a hotel fire in The Dalles last July. The woman had been under investigation in connection with 13 fires in The Dalles last sum mer, including fires at three hotels or apartments and several businesses. After her arrest for setting a fire in the Gates Block hotel, Mrs. Olson was sent to the state mental institution at Pend leton for observation but was released a month later. moving U. S. troops from Europe altogether: and no American statesman is willing to consider a European settlement mat leaves Germany divided. It is on just these provisions that Russian proposals differ most from the West's. The Jan. 7 communique issued jointly by Russia and East Germany calls for a European security agree ment "comprising both German states before their reunification" and calling for "the abolition of military bases on foreign . terri tories in Europe. Continued Division v;; In other words, Russia insists on continued division of Ger many; at least in the forseeable future, and the withdrawal of U. S. troops from Europe as well as from West Germany. The Communist East German govern ment backs this position fully. If East and West are to reach any agreement at all, observers agree, there will have to be some "horse trading" between oppos ing points of view. The question uppermost in these observer's minds is what does the West stand to gain or lose in negotia tions with Russia? ! On the question ortjerman re unification, the U. ' S. position j since the Potsdam conference in : 1945 has been thap this must j come through free all-German ; elections. Russia, however, fears that free elections throughout Germany could lead only, to a Communist defeat. In population alone. West Germany outnum bers Communist East Germany 50,000,000 to 17,000,000. ; Compromise Concessions To persuade Russia to compro mise on German elections might involve such far-reaching U. S. concession's as withdrawal of troops from Europe, disbanding of NATO, permanent neutraliza tion of Germany or leaving the question 4of reunification to the two German governments. Armed force withdrawals were suggested by Russia in Novem ber, the. Communist idea being to reduce during 1957 by one- third the armed forces of the United States, Soviet Union, Bri tain and France now stationed in Germany. The Flanders-Humphrey sug gestion is more far-reaching, also asking the withdrawal of Rus sian troops from the satellite countries of Eastern Europe. Some Westerners assume that Russia has been so weakened by unrest in Hungary, Poland and elsewhere that Russian leaders may be glad to pull their troops out of Eastern Europe. Also, Western military leaders have freely admitted that NATO's ef fectiveness depends on substan tial West German troops. Russia might be willing to make con cessions in Eastern Europe if, by neutralizing Germany, she -could insure that NATO would never be a real military threat. Two Possibilities Two other possibilities have been suggested. One is that Rus sia may now be ready to com promise on military matters in order to compete with the West in other fields economic com petition, infiltration, subversion and political activies. The other suggestion is that Russia genuinely hopes to work out a peaceful settlement of Eu ropean problems in order to take care of internal affairs such as trade, industrial and agricultural development. Still other observers doubt that Russia would even consider pulling out of Eastern Europe. This position appears to be strengthened by last week's evi dence of a "return-to-Stalinism" swing among Soviet leaders. How close the U. 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