First Chancellor Since Hitler Outlines His Aims In Exclusive INS Story
Germany's first chancellor since Adolf Hitler is Konrad Adenauer, the 73-year old leader of the Catholic Christian democratic party. Last week, the west German parliament selected Dr. Adenauer to guide postwar German's reentry into the European family of nations. In the following signed article for International News Service - his first since his election to high office - the veteran German statesman pledges he will "invoke the harshest measures" against resurgent German nationalism.
By Dr. Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
The federal republic of Germany will make it its business to watch out for any signs of resurgent nationalist tendencies and is prepared, if necessary, to invoke harshest measures to combat them.
Whether such latent radicalist or nationalist forces will regain strength and political influence depends entirely upon the success or failure of this first federal German government, particularly in the social and economic fields.
At this junction, however, I regret that abroad there is so much talk about a resurgent nationalist movement in this country. These reports are grossly exaggerated and are not borne out by facts. It is my firm belief that the quicker and more effectively Germany is being restored into the family of European nations and of the civilized world as a whole, the lesser the danger of a new or resurgent nationalism in Germany.
What then is our program for the next four years? Our thinking is guided by the firm knowledge that Europe is the bastion of the Atlantic pact nations whose natural outpost is of course Germany. In turn, the security of the entire west hinges on the state of orderliness in this part of the world.
However, with the present progress of modern science and the current vacillating world situation, such security must not rest or arms alone. First we must take care of refugees and all those whose existences were uprooted by the war. We cannot build bastions on running sands.In particular we are counting on the continued help of the United States which in the past took such a splendid lead in the recovery of Europe and Germany in particular.
What is our main program then? It is nothing short of Germany's incorporation into the family of Europe, for without Germany, the European union is but an incomplete structure. To realize such a plan, the first step must be to give Germany membership in the European union, even if for the time being we are denied participation in the council itself.
The federal republic of Germany already stands pledged to contribute its utmost so that it can again become a full member of the European family and the world. Our best contribution is to put this country on its feet, in every sense of the word.
Quelle: The Lincoln Star, Lincoln [Nebraska]; The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Cedar Rapids [Michigan]; The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus [Ohio]; Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland [Ohio], alle vom 20. September 1949; The Daily American, Rom, vom 23. September 1949.