NEWS OF THE WEEK T HE gains of the Socialists in
the Bavarian elections have confirmed the determination of Dr. Schumacher, the West . German Socialist leader, to act as if the Federal Government, led by the Christian Democrat, Dr. Adenauer, had received its marching orders. Such pretensions could only be fully justified if Land elections really did settle Federal questions, if Dr. Schumacher could substantiate his claim to have a better defence policy than Dr. Adenauer, and if the swing of votes to the Socialists had been rather more impressive than it was. As things are they are not fully justified. If Dr. Adenauer and his Government are to be removed the West German Socialists ought to find some better reasons than this. And, that being the case, it is doubly unfortunate that the Chancellor should have chosen this moment to attempt to modify his position on the defence question. He disclosed to a hastily called meeting of journalists last Friday that he had already officially expressed West Germany's willingness to contribute ,a contingent to a West European Army, but at the same meeting he also stated that, as a quid pro quo, the Allies should substitute a security agreement for the existing Occupation Statute and adjust the German defence contribution so as to avoid cutting into social services. This was a sufficiently obvious attempt to borrow a part of the Schumacher policy, but it was a doubly mis- guided attempt in that that policy is both unrealistic in itself and quite certain to be opposed by the Allies. As time goes on the Allied desire for a really effective German contribution to defence grows stronger, not weaker, and as to the Occupation Statute Dr. Adenauer knows as well as anybody else that the Foreign Ministers reached an agreement on its revision in New York last September and want to put -the agreement into effect as soon as possible. It would no doubt help if the Atlantic Powers would announce their final proposals for a German contribution to defence, but there is little point in expecting them to propose a contribution which would be hedged about with conditions and useless in practice.
