TH E T A B L E T , M ay 17th, 1952

THE TABLET A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER AND REVIEW

VOL, 199, No. 5843

PRO ECCLESIA DEI, PRO REGINA ET PATRIA

LONDON, MAY 17th, 1952

NINEPENCE

FOUNDED IN 1 8 4 0

PUBLISHED AS A NEWSPAPER

THE MORALE OF EUROPE The Weakness of Hedonistic Humanism

THE CINEMA IN THE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACIES

A Main Instrument of State Policy THE DECLINE OF THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

The Attitude of Local Authorities THE RUNNING SORE OF INDO-CHINA The Slow Attrition of French Resources. By Ronald Matthews AN ANGLICAN DIFFICULTY LIBERTY OR EQUALITY

By Christopher Hollis

By Aurel Kolnai critical moment. In Hessen the Christian Democrats have been able to arrest the losses of the last few years, while the Socialists, slightly weakened, remain in the lead. The absence or presence of the BHE, the refugee party, decided the difference in all three localities. This party has probably also benefited from the defeats of the Free Democrats, a party which in Northern Germany represents the conservativenationalist interest of industry and finance, and in Southern Germany seeks to play a more liberal role.

THE GERMAN ELECTORATE I N emphasizing that “a German Peace treaty can be worked out only if there is an all German Government formed as a result of free elections and able to participate in full freedom in the discussion of such a treaty,” the British reply to the Soviet Note on Germany is stating the one necessary condition on which a satisfactory solution of the German problem in Europe must depend. The Western Powers have asked the Russians a number of other questions, but whatever the verbal replies, it will be the Soviet actions, and actions which require a complete reversal of the German post-war policy of the USSR, which will give the real answer. It may be that the Soviet Government is tactically ready to envisage a united Germany in which Dr. Schumacher rather than Dr. Adenauer may become Chancellor and become the Benes of Germany ; but as yet the eighteen million Germans in the East are in no position to voice their opinion. News from that zone, on the contrary, tells of the “policy of increased military security in agreement with the Soviet Union,” of the organization of a people’s army, of directions to the East German trade union organizations to begin military training for workers after working hours. All this and the renewed Soviet pressure on Berlin is directed against the conclusion of the Contractual Agreement between the West and the Federal Republic.

The conflict between these two sections has now come to a head through what is widely regarded as the highly arbitrary formation of the new South-west State Government. Immediately on his election as Minister President, Dr. Reinhold Maier of the DVP appointed nine ministers from the Socialists (SPD), the BHF, and the Democratic People’s Party (DVP) which represents the FDP interests in WürttembergBaden). Although the Christian Democrats were the leading party at the elections, Dn. Maier disregarded them in his appointments, and he also failed to consult the Ministerrat formed under the previous governments in the composition of the new Government. Dr. Maier’s action means in effect that with the two new members representing the South-west State the voting strength of the opposition parties at Bonn will be raised from eighteen to twenty, and although he has given assurances that his Government would not always support Dr. Adenauer’s enemies, that can be of little consolation to the German Chancellor, because decisions in the Federal Diet are dependent on the support of twenty votes.

In the atmosphere of the totalitarian regime in Eastern Germany no free elections are possible, and it needs no United Nations or other Commission to reveal the truth. For free elections to be held in the whole of Germany there must first come a détente a period of several months during which the parties of the Federal Republic can be accorded full liberty of press and propaganda in Eastern Germany, while the same right is granted to the SED in the West. After that period Länder elections could be held followed by general elections for a central German Government. But whether or not such a plan can be followed will depend on a Russian realization that the West is at least equally strong, and that the cold war can bring no further advantages. This realization will only come if the West goes steadily forward with the European Community. The Hessen Results

The results of the local elections which were held in Hessen, Friedberg and Schleswig-Holstein give some indication as to the inner political situation in Western Germany at this

Dr. Maier’s alliance with the Social-democrats with whom he agrees on educational and social policies has aroused the anger of the FDP at large. For they now see themselves defeated in their object : to form a Nationale Rechte which should try to win the support of the extreme Right-wing parties to counterbalance both CDU and SPD. These nationalist supporters of the- FDP are now threatening to vote against their party in the Bundestag or even to break away altogether.

The party-political picture of Italy in the year before general elections does not differ greatly from the German scene. In Germany, too, the extremist parties are making slow but steady progress. Herr Remer of neo-Nazi Socialist Reichspartie won 10 per cent of all votes at Friedberg ; the Deutsche Partei, of similar Nazi leanings, has entrenched itself in Hessen and has also sent seven members, including the former