NPD's Dangerous Role in West_ Germany inadequate and dismiss the case. were the West German economy Such a risk certainly exists; it to suffer a serious setback. Historical parallels are easy to would prove terribly embarrassing (Copyright 1969, JITA, Inc.) BONN—Twenty-four years after draw and they can be misleading. to the government, and NPD stock the collapse of the Third Reich, a The 1930s will not be repeated in would soar among the voters. Yet neo-Nazi party has emerged on the the 1970s. Most Germans do not there is no small amount of cynic- West German scene with every in- want a repetition of the Hitler era. ism in the government's stand. dication that it will become a per- They know the destruction and de- The CDU, for example, welcom- manent part of the political spec- gradation it brought them. There ed with open arms with the 22 trum. What is most alarming are powerful forces for democracy votes cast by NPD delegates in about this development is that the at work in the country, especially the recent electoral assembly for National Democratic Par t y among the younger generation. its candidate for president of the (NPD), which espouses a danger. Nevertheless, there is a disturb- Federal Republic, Defense Minis- ous amalgam of ultra-nationalis- ing complacency in many quar- ter Gerhard Schroeder, Herr tic and extreme right-wing views, ters and a penchant for political Schroeder, a former member o is regarded by most Germans and expediency among the major poli- the Nazi Party, lost by a margin by many observers abroad as a tical parties and leaders that can of six votes to Dr. Gustav Heine- natural political phenomenon. only enhance the fortunes of the mann, the minister of justice, a social Democrat and a man whose The NPD now holds seats in NPD. That party held its first national record of opposition to the Nazis seven of West Germany's 10 laen- dates back to pre-war days. That der or provincial parliaments. congress in the little Bavarian Herr Schroeder, who admitted Barring some major political set- town of Schwabach in February. applying for membership in the back, it appears likely to win its It had hoped to rent the town hall notorious SA during his student first seats in the Bundestag (lower in Bayreuth but the city fathers years, was a favorite of the NPD house) in next September's nation- there would have nothing to do is not surprising. The liberal Dr. al elections. Most political observ- with them. The congress was a to ers concede that if the elections boistrous affair. The NPD had to Heinemann was an anathema them. What was amazing was the were held now, the NPD would be mobilize 500 of its special certain to take its place in the "guards" to protect the 600 dele- manner in which the CDU courted federal parliament. gates from hundreds of demon- NPD votes. Nor is the CDU alone strators who shouted anti-Nazi slo- in its ambiguous attitude toward Hitler's Nazi Party took its first gans. It erected a barbed wire the neo-Nazis. The Social Demo- step toward control of Germany fence around the meeting hall, and crats, coalition partners of the by winning seats in the Reichstag. NPD guards stopped passers-by CDU, have declared several times That event took place at a time of and demanded identity papers. that they favored outlawing the severe economic depression when NPD. But they never made any The latter was a shocking unemployment was rampant and special effort in parliament or the usurpation of police authority. thousands of Germans were starv- government to bring that about. Yet the local police did not The Free Democratic Party. ing. The NPD shows all signs of bother to interfere. Their atti- whose votes in the electoral assem- thriving at a time of unprecedent- tude was, in a way, symbolic of ed prosperity when German work- bly were credited with making Dr . the official German policy to- ers enjoy the highest living stan- Heinemann's victory possible, has ward the NPD. The Bonn gov- dards in their history and great openly opposed legal action ernment for months has been against the extreme right-wingers. sections of the German people talking about legal action to literally wallow in luxury. There is another disquieting have the NPD banned as anti- One can only shudder at the O parallel between Germany of the democratic under West. German thought of what might happen t 1930s and West Germany today. law. Minister of Interior Ernst In 1933, the Nazis and Com- Benda, a leader of the domin- munists, though mortal enemies, ant Christian Democratic Union Season's Greetings sometimes worked together to (CDU), the party of Chancellor defeat democracy. Today the Kur t Georg Kiesinger, has radical left, which regularly de- amassed what he considers to be nounces the NPD, speaks its sufficient evidence to have the language with regard to Israel.' NPD declared unconstitutional The NPD has been very careful by the constitutional high court 1515 Division to avoid overt anti-Semitism and at Karlsruhe. makes known its attitude toward But apart from Herr Benda, the CDU leaders give no indication Jews in oblique language. The radical left disguises its anti- that they intend to take such a Best Wishes on the Passover Jewish bias as "anti-Zionism." step. Chancellor Kiesinger has The NPD chairman, Adolf von made some threats but they are to has predicted 8 regarded as political rhetoric in- Madden, tended to frighten voters away 12 per cent of the vote for his from NPD ranks. The excuse for party in the national elections. inaction given in high government Many astute observers do not dis- BR 3-3390 15500 Puritan (Corner Greenfield circles is that the Karlsruhe court miss this as an empty boast. The Free Dilivery might find Herr Benda's evidence NPD is not a party of rational arguments. It cares little for issues, and campaigns with chau- vinistic slogans designed to arouse Passover Best Wishes the baser instincts of the voters. Should it enter the Bundestag, It ' will have a major platform for ex- WAREHOUSE ploiting such instincts and its in- fluence will be magnified by na- 539-3700 23250 SHERWOOD tional radio and television cover- Warren, Michigan age. There is yet another issue close- ,- ly linked to West German politics Happy Holiday Greetings o and the rise of the NPD. That is o the fate of the statute of limita- tions on Nazi war crimes prose- cutions which is scheduled to go Reba Paske, Prop. into elect at the end of this year. Hair Cutting—Permanent Waving—Tinting Hours: Tees. and Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fri., f a.m. to 9 p.m. 0 Many German politicians have LI 8 - 1 1 5 5 o clucked their tongues at the pro- 8440 W. 9 Mile Rd., Oak Pork 353-2173 0 spect of hundreds, possibly thou- 2 9 1 1 1 Greenfield, Southfield a s strirerrrisurie sands of Nazi war criminals 0000000000000000 000 0 cheating justice. But with the exception of Dr. Happy Passover to Our Relatives and Friends Heinemann and a few others, none have supported a move to abolish the statute. In this mat- ter, the attitude of the CDU and Wool and Cotton Rags the other major parties is the same as their stand on banning WA 3-6400 1947 E. Kirby the NPD. At this writing, sad to say, the NPD appears to have a political future in West Germany. One A Happy and Joyous Passover To All thing is certain. The neo-Nazis, like a bad odor, will not disappear of their own accord. FISHER PROVISION CO. MERRILL PHARMACY THE DETROIT JEWWISH NEWS 52—Friday, Mord, 23, 1969 Passover Best Wishes By ALFRED WOLFMANN JTA Correspondent in W.. Germany McNICHOLS HARDWARE Dishmaster Sales & Service 13320 W. McNICHOLS UN 3-0838 A Happy ond Healthy Passover TED STONE 0 4 AUTO CITY CHEMICAL CO. 16515 Ploymouth KLIP & KURL BEAUTY SALON Passover Greetings Peerless Deluxe Cleaners and Shirt Laundry Pollak Printing Co. L Complete Printing Service 2420 Grand River 26126 Greenfield, Oak Pork Sol Zimmerman 98-4555 WO 3-0895 •INIMPO•MII••••• ■ •• ■ •••• ■••■■••■■■■■••■■••■• PASSOVER GREETINGS Passover Greetings Oakland Waste Material Co. Bauman-Roggin Agency Buyers of Waste Paper - Scrap Metal - Rage TR 3-2575 1534 Gillet 8 800 West McNichols Don H. 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