EFFORTS TO PLACE GERMAN PEOPLE ON OWN FEET

Chronicle (Levin), 20 April 1949, Page 5

EFFORTS TO PLACE GERMAN PEOPLE ON OWN FEET

ITi-eive.l Tuesday, 7 p.m. LOXDOX, April 19. ]>r,(t,r,.ss in the application of Allie 1 fi i ?■ Woteni Germany would new ; i , ilcjH'iid wholly on tlie Germans uho liave still to reach an : ni a basie law which the ,..•,■•11 I'iiu t-rs ea n approve, but The i'ln.-' diplomatic eorrespondent points .... tin-t the Western Foreign Ministers, ... Washiugion, were clearly alive to ; . i.ossible eomplication, namely, Russian intervention. Kassiau blockade of Berlin ha? ■ >!ilv prevented the Western Powers ■:..m yiiing ahead witli their politieai ua- for Western Germany but luis aiso as a bomnerang on the RussianA p i-\ ideut that thev can do less to pr.itei-t the Soviet Zone t'rom the . - moiiiir eouse!|iieiieert of the Western , -.Hiiier bloi-kade than the Western i iwcrs can do, by nieans of the aiilifL sust niu the western sectors of MeiTui. Obviouslv the Soviet Government Uiust be luuking for a vvav out of the diiti"ultv. Keports that the Soviet Gijvernnient has otlieially approaehed the Western Powers for a reopening oi negot iations 011 Germany are, however. at least preinature, The Times corres pondent savs. All that seems to luive happened is that the SovieP Government has hinted through various round ubuut ehannels, at interest in a Counen of Foreign Alinisters and that Mr. Levin, M. Sehuman and Mr. Aeheson considered in Wasliington what their crnment 's attitude should be in the ■ .ent of a formal Soviet dpproach. If he Iinssians were lirst to raise the Berlin blockade- the Western Powers •• otihi presunisFbly be ready to abandon cir eounter measures and to contexn ; , ' ;i t e a Council of Foreign Alinisters or: .t-Mnany. But the general sentiment in Wasli •lUion was that the Western Powers 1 : d not agree to negotiate if the ' -Gans made it a eondition that the intioji of a Western German Go\- . o.oMit be abandoned on interrupte-1. ' . :il-eept sucli a eondition would, u fe!t, be to ensure failure of the : ,• iations, and subsequent chaos.