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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Right and Left-Wing Extremism:
Symptoms of Same German Malady
By ALFRED WOLFMANN
I
WA Correspondent In West Germany) ,
(Copyright 1965, JTA Inc.)
BONN — The Nazi-Soviet pact
which shocked the world in 1939
showed that the two opposites on
the political spectrum can join to-
gether, despite their mutual anti-
pathies. When they did, 29 years
ago, it spelled disaster for the
world.
Today, in West Germany, a simi-
lar drama is taking shape that has
the portents of disaster. Although
the extreme left and extreme right
may not contemplate a political
m a r r i age of convenience, their
aims and methods, their rhetoric
and menacing undercurrent of viol-
ence that permeates all of their ,
activities are sufficiently alike to
cause alarm.
During the year just ended,
the radical left student groups
at the universities and the radi-
cal right National Democratic
Party (NPD), which brazenly
espouses Hitlerian precepts, have
both gained strength and ad-
herents throughout the federal
republic. This is especially dis-
turbing in view of the nation's
continuing prosperity. Unemploy-
ment is virtually non-existent,
and the average German is ma-
terially better off than ever be-
fore. What then attracts so many
Germans, young and old, to ex- I
tremist causes?
Some say it is the absence of a
strong opposition party in the
parliament which is dominated by
a democratic coalition. But there
may be a more basic—and more
fearful—reason, indigenous to the
German nature.
Extreme right and extreme left
political movements exist in many
Western countries. But nowhere
outside of Germany are their so-
called "revolutionary emotions" so
anti-humanitarian. Extremists in
Germany want to eliminate all op-
position, not just in a political
sense but by "break ing their
bones." This accounts for the mur-
derous hate campaign waged by
the left-wing students whose orien-
tation is toward Peking, not Mos-
cow. They shout their slogans from
the sidewalks. They publicly burn
newspapers they don't like (shades
of the Brown Shirts) and incite to
violence against political leaders.
Lord Mayor Klaus Schuetz of Ber-
lin was not in office for a week
when left-wing stud e n t s surged
over the Berlin University campus,
shouting "break the bones of
Schuetz."
The left-wingers, of course, fol-
low the Moscow-Peking line in
denouncing "imperialist Israel"
and h ailing Nasser and other
Arab leaders. This may be a
m a t t e r of political conviction.
But it is also a reaction to the
pro-Israel stand of many leading
German newspapers such as the
chain of publisher Axel Springer.
That left-wing and right-wing. at-
titudes toward the Israel-Arab dis-
pute coincide - is 'not accidental.
Both despise democracy and seek
to eliminate it by opposing indivi-
duals or nations that have the sup-
port of the democratic establish-
ment in Germany.
Of the two, it is apparent that the
right wing poses the greatest dan-
ger in Germany today, if only be-
cause it possesses a dynamic po-
litical instrument in the NPD
(which the radical left does not)
and because Germany is suscepti-
ble to fanaticism of the right, as
her recent history testifies.
The NPD has managed to gain
seats in all the German laender
(state) parliaments. There is
little doubt that the party will
win seats in the federal parlia-
ment in the 1969 elections. Its
leader, Adolph von Thadden, esti-
mated recently that the NPD
commands 10 per cent of the Ger-
man vote. He expects a larger
proportion in 1968, especially in
the event of a crisis within the
coalition government that seems
most likely .
NPD intends to play strongly on
German patriotic emotions which
run high on the question of re-
unification. The prospects for a
united Germany are no better than
they were 20 years ago. Russia re-
mains intransigent on the subject,
and the East German People's Re-
public's cold war against the fed-
eral republic grows frostier all
the time. The NPD feels that it
can only profit from these circum-
stances.
Von Thadden grows bolder. He
appeals to German blood ties. He
calls for Anschluss with Austria.
He declares that the Munich pact
is still legal and valid. The party
rallies at which he or his lieuten-
ants speak, become rowdier, with
fist-fights erupting and newspaper-
men forcibly ejected. Von Thad-
den sets up a uniformed "guard"
corps to throw out protesters—all
shockingly reminiscent of Munich
in the 1920s.
The federal government is
g r ow i n g increasingly uneasy.
But it fears to take any overt
measures against the neo-Nazis.
One measure would be to file a
request of prohibition with the
High Constitutional Court which,
if upheld, would outlaw the NPD.
But the government is not cer-
tain that is has significant
grounds for such a move. If its
petition were denied by the court,
the government would be embar-
rassed and the NPD would bene-
fit from the publicity and the aura
of martyrdom that would only
enhance its appeal to many Ger-
mans. So the government waits.
And the NPD talks about pre-
serving Germany's "blood heri-
tage" and of hanging Ben-
Gurion, Guy Mollet and Anthony
Eden.
A well-known German theologian,
Dr. Helmut Thiekecke of Ham-
burg University, said in an inter-
view that was widely quoted in the
press recently: "I used to say that
a new Hitler could never rise in
Germany because the German
youth is too intelligent and alert.
I am sorry, that I have to admit
today that I was wrong. I no longer
believe that a Hitlerite movement
cannot come to power in Germany.
I wish I were wrong, But I fear I
am not. Poor Germany."
•
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israel has No information was given as to I new class, or how soon the;',would
designed and is rushing production the number of ships planned in the be commissioned.
on a new class of heavily-armed,
highly-maneuverable and very fast
boats as the answer to th e Egyp -
tian missile-carrying gu nboats of
the type that sank the Israeli de-
extends congratulations to
stroyer, the Elath, last September.
The new vessels, though small,
are understood to have the ability
to detect and destroy submarines,
planes and large warships, in addi-
tion to missile boats. Informed
sources said that the boats should
enable Israel to maintain qualita-
tive superiority over the Soviet-
armed Egyptian navy.
The review of the Israeli Navy's
capacity began before a Komar-
type vessel sank the Elath on
Sept. 21 with Styx missiles, it
was indicated. Sources said the
closest existing design to the new
vessels was the PGM aluminum-
hulled patrol boats developed by
is with great pleasure that we again honor
the United States several years
Alan Nathan as our Man-of-the-Year for 1967.
ago to cope with Komar class
Since joining the Agency in mid-1964, Alan has
vessels supplied by the Soviet
won this acclaim in 1965 and 1966.
Union to Cuba.
We are proud to extend best wishes to Alan
Rosenberg Wins Award
and his family.
DALLAS (JTA)—Adolph Rosen-
berg, editor and publisher of the
Southern Israelite of Atlanta, has
1400 Detroit Bank & Trust Bldg.
been named recipient of the 1967
Detroit, Michigan 48226
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Israel Army Makes Use
of Seized Soviet Tanks
TEL AVIV (ZINS) — The newly
appointed chief of staff of the
Israeli Army, General Chaim Bar
Lev, declared that the Soviet tanks
captured in the June War on the
Egyptian front are already in use
by the Israeli armored detach-
ments.
Having been repaired at army
workshops, the T54s and T55s
prove to be effective weapons.
Although the general staff strives
to standardize army equipment
which was produced in France,
America and England, it has de-
cided to utilize the Soviet tanks
that will considerably strengthen
Israel's armored divisions.
•
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