Germany's New Council
The opening meeting of the new Economic Council for the Anglo- American Zone of Germany on Wednesday was a landmark in the history of post-war Germany. The fact that the seat of the Council is at Frankfurt, with its historic memories of a century ago, and that the various administrative agencies are to be concentrated there, gives a body that was designed to be strictly economic a definitely political aspect. That was emphasised quite as much as was desir- able in the addresses given on Wednesday by the two principal German speakers, Dr. Christian Stock, who as Prime Minister of Hesse welcomed the members of the Council, and Dr. Erich Kohler, also from Hesse, who was elected President of the new body. That German unity should be the theme of both speeches was natural enough. German unity is the definite aim of the British and Allied Military Governments, and it is not the fault of either Britain or America that Germany today consists of two sundered halves. But the purpose of the new Council at Frankfurt is to enable Western Germany to help itself economically, not to demonstrate politically. Economics and politics cannot, of course, be entirely separated, and the more the eight Lander in the Anglo-American Zone can be welded together, pending the restoration of the unity of all Germany, the better it is likely to be for Germany's ultimate welfare. The Economic Council is commanded by the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, who hold between them 41 out of the total of 54 seats, and since they are appointed by the Diets of the Lander, the Council does genuinely represent the principle of democracy—unlike. the Council (of which so little has been heard) in the Russian Zone, whose members are nominated by the occupying authority. The creation of an Economic Council can in itself solve no economic problems, still less put more food into hungry mouths, but it can considerably improve distribution. In any case it is essential that the practice of democratic government, unknown in Germany since 1933, shall be resumed, and this is a wise and valuable step in that direction.
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