Germans Adopt Barzel’s Point

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 13

Germans Adopt Barzel’s Point

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) BONN, June 21. West Germany’s railing Christian democrats said last night that a recent speech by their deputy chairman, Dr. Rainer Barzel, was evidence that they were willing to make concessions to reunify Germany. Dr. Barzel, in a surprise speech in Washington last

week, called for a reunited Germany in which Soviet troops could remain. He said reunification depended only on Moscow's approval. The Soviet Union rejected his proposal yesterday. A communique issued after a meeting between Chancellor Ludwig Erhard and his party executive last night said that the Soviet rejection showed that the failure to achieve reunification was not caused by the lack of West German concessions.

The Soviet Union refused to grant Germany national unity the communique said. It was the first official party reaction to Dr. Barzel’s proposals. The Government had earlier described them as his personal views.

The communique said that both Dr. Erhard and the party executive expressed full confidence in Dr. Barzel who, apart from being party deputy chairman and parliamentary floor leader, is tipped as a future Chancellor.