The Templer Mystery

From the War Office last week came an unexpected communique: General Sir Gerald Templer, 55, victor of Malaya, would not get his promised command of the 80,000-man British Army of the Rhine. "Plans for General Templer's future employment in an important military appointment," said the War Office, "will be announced later. General Templer has been granted a long leave."

No further explanation was forthcoming. Immediately, reports began spreading from Whitehall that Templer's German appointment had been vetoed by West German Chancellor Adenauer. It was Templer who had dismissed Adenauer as Lord Mayor of Cologne in October 1945, "for not energetically carrying out the orders of the military government." But from Bonn came word that Adenauer had made no protest against the Templer appointment, and certainly bore no grudge. Another possibility: Templer is being held in reserve as Britain's candidate for supreme command of any new Southeast Asia treaty organization.

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