WESTERN ATTITUDE UNMODIFIED

Chronicle (Levin), 11 October 1949, Page 5

WESTERN ATTITUDE UNMODIFIED

. .uj.r./t.-

-Reuter.

East German Government Denounced As Having No Legal Basis

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Received Tuesday, 10.15 a.m. BERLIN, October 10. The three Allied High Commissioners tonight issued a statement denouncing the recently-established East German Government as having no legal basis and no title to represent Eastern Germany.

The statement, issued after an unexpected meeting of the High Commissioners at Prankfurt, assured Western Berlin that the Allied Powers would "continue to fulfil their mission in the former capital." Tlie statement said that all steps to ensure political and economic freedom to the inhabitants of West Berlin would be taken in collaboration with the West German Government. "Events which have taken place in the East will not modify the attitude of the Western Powers." The statement • blamed Russia's refusal to co-operate for fourPower failure to reach a common policy for ail Germany. The Western Allies were thus compelled to take decisions which permitted the establishment of a Federal German Government. The statement said: "The socalled Government of the German Democratic Republic is the artificial creation of a 'Popuiar Assembjy' which had no mandate for

this purpose. The postponement of the elections for a yeai\is evidently to ensure that when they are held they shall follow the pattern already set in the other satellite States." ' The formation of the East German Republic was taken a stage further today when the five States in the Russian Zone chose their delegates to the Upper House of the Federal Parliament. 1 One representative for each 500,000 people is required to form what will be known as the Laenderkammer, the equivalent to Bundesrat in the West German Parliament. There will be 34 members for the States and seven for the East Sector of Berlin, but these latter will have no voting powers as the sector is not yet incorporated. The President of the Republic — almost certain to be Herr Wilhelm ( Pieck, of the Socialist Unity Party .' — will be appointed tomorrow, and | Soviet recognition of the new State j is likely to be announced at the ■ same time.