Oldal 2 [2]
Xs Aei4, Nov. 52.
- page two ¬
leadership ef the allegedly neutral Federation ef German Trade Uni¬
ens, the DGB. There is, besides these twe main lines, ene ether fac~
ter whe is petent and uncemmitted : the BHE, the Bund der Heimat~
vertriebenen und Entrechteten, the new refugee party, which is she¬
wing impressive strength and has se far not clearly indicated yhizh
side it is supporting. All the ether minor groups, regardless of the
publicity they might get - effieial Communists, Neo-Nazis, Center,
Federalist Unien, WVA ete. - are, politically speaking, without
impertance and can be entirely overlooked as far as their future
function within the constitutional framework is concerned : they
yill have no influence werth mentioning.
The pregramne of the Adenauer coalition is very clearly
outlined : in foreign policy it is the strictest adherence te the
Western Allianee, rearmament of the country within the Eurepean
Community ef defence, radieal refusal of German neutrality in the con¬
fliet between Hast and West. Under Adenauer Germany is clearly cen
mitted te the Atlantic forces. In domestic policies, Adenauer is
following a ecenservative line in econemics and finances : balance
of the budget, if possible reduction of taxes in order te give
production an incentive, encouragement of domestic and foreign in¬
vestment in new enterprises, gradual lifting ef currency restrie¬
tiens and trade barriers. Politically the greup is eonservative,
going from eenservative Republicans - net numereus, except in the
CDU - to ali shades ef Monarchists - the vast majority ef the gover¬
nement supperters, Hence the policy is ene of federalism, regional
autonomy, decentraligation. In its electoral declarations it is
standing squarely on the achievements of the last four years of Ade¬
nauer governement,
As already pointed eut, the greup is entirely deminated by
the persenality ef Chancelior Adenauer; the "Old One" as he is uni¬
versally called in Bonn. Adenauer is liked by few ; he is admired
by many ; he is considered indispensible prebably by the large majo~
rity. Thés is dae to the fact, that Adenauer is at 76 ene of the
strengest men beth physically and merallyin Bonn today. He is the
gevernement, whieh he leads with brutal authority, Even in Cabinet
meetings he is the authoritariam. He dees not permit members of the
Cabinet te speak, unless he permits it. These of his members whe
are long-winded er whe, in Adenauers opinion, have nothing parti¬
cular te say te the point under discussion, are simply not permitted
to talk at all, The mass of work Adenauer is doing is simply stag¬
gering. In this work he has an inner greup of men enjoying his econ¬
fidenee, men whe are entirely unknewn te the piblie, but whe wield
immense pewer, like Benn's mystery man Klepke er seme ef the younger
officials af tie Chancellor's Offiee. These have a power very similar
te Roosevelt's brain-trust. But they exist enly threugh Adenauer.
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