Spreading Hesitation

The sudden thunder of artillery that exploded the length of the German lines in Poland at 3 a.m. on June 22, 1941 signaled the start of Hitler's drive on Russia. Last week the Soviet government issued a proclamation which opened with a reference to that ominous day, but concluded: "The state of war between the Soviet Union and Germany is ended, and peaceful relations are established." The Soviet gesture came 3 1/2 years after the Western powers ended their state of war with Germany. What alone gave it significance was its place in a steady procession of Russian moves toward Germany--trade talk, a new offer (trickily qualified) for all-German elections, a bid for an exchange of diplomats between Bonn and Moscow. Russia still has an even greater favor to bestow: the return of an estimated 103,000 Germans still held prisoner by the Russians. Presumably this awaits the propitious moment.

Railroad Briefing. West Germany's Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, returning last week from three weeks' rest near Baden-Baden, summoned aides to his special railroad car to brief him on Moscow's proclamation, and on the situation it was designed to exploit.

The essence of their briefing was this: more and more Germans are beginning to hesitate about rearmament, fearful that to proceed with it will foreclose for good the chance of reuniting Germany. The trend is not yet alarming enough to threaten final parliamentary approval of the Paris rearmament accords next month. But unless checked, such sentiment may block the conscription laws and other legislation essential to establish a German army.

The Socialists seized on Russia's declaration of peace. "It must be closely studied," cried Socialist Leader Erich Ollenhauer, who says the same thing practically every time Moscow opens its mouth. He added: "We must give priority to the unification of our country over lasting ties with the West." One night last week in Frankfurt, Socialists, in concert with the powerful trade-union movement (6,000,000 members), held the first of what they promised will be 1,000 meetings against rearmament in the next month.

Influential Protestant leaders, guided by that submariner-turned-neutralist. Pastor Martin NiemOeller, issued a circular warning that the Paris accords "could endanger our all-German existence." A West German student federation began a nationwide poll of young people, which was expected to show widespread opposition to military service. Inside Adenauer's own coalition, the minority parties were muttering.

To the Stump. Alarmed by the trend, Adenauer summoned coalition leaders and expressed his concern over "the echo" which Moscow's wiles are producing in the West German population. He fired off an open letter to Socialist Ollenhauer warning that the Socialist course might land Germany "between two stools...without friends." Then the 79-year-old Chancellor announced that he too would stump the country in the coming month, to warn Germans against putting too much faith in echoes.

The Kremlin last week also sent a note to Tokyo, suggesting a willingness to end the state of war with Japan. Everybody but the Soviet-bloc countries already has.

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