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Economic Council Criticized
COMMENTS pro and con on the
Bizonal Economic Council have
received considerable space in the
German press. In one of the three
critical comments recently appearing
in Soviet-licensed papers, the Berliner
Zeitung expressed suspicion that a
government and parliament has been
set up in Frankfurt for part of Ger-
many, despite claims to the contrary.
"This  real  character  of  the
Economic Council was underscored
when representatives of the occupa-
tion  forces  spoke  of the  great
'historical' importance in the estab-
lishment of this Council," observed
the Soviet-licensed paper, stating that
the dangers this Council creates are
real because "There are powerful
interests which want such a develop-
ment."
The paper cited Walter Lippman,
whom it characterized as the "best-
knoww   propagandist of American
monopoly capital," as stating that the
US wants to further in Europe the
political decentralization of Germany
without compromise and to join the
three western zones into a federalist
state if necessary. The paper further
contended that the aims of such a
western German state were well de-
scribed in the speech of Minister-
President Stock of Hesse who sad
that the solution of the German
question is closely connected with
the Marshal plan. The Berliner Zeltung
observed that though one must
welcome aid in principle, if the
Marshal plan means the dismember-
ment of Germany it must be rejected.
In a stronger criticism, the Taeg-
liche Rundschau said that the fact
that the Council meets in Frankfurt is
symbolic because this city is the
"center of capitalist Germany."
"Behind this Economic Council,"
advised the paper, "forces of German
and foreign capital are at work who
want to make western Germany
aw kind of ward of the big inter-
national trusts and monopoly capital."
Noting that one stressed the unity
of Germany at the opening of the
Council, the paper said this is rather
suspicious because the characteristic
picture of this council is support of
the dismemberment of Germany.
T AEGLICHE Rundschau claimed
1that reactionary circles in the
Council want to get the Ruhr area
under the control of "the foreign
masters behind them" and want to
-nip in the bud socialization of the
Ruhr and land reform in the British
Zone. Because one cannot realize
this aim on an all-German scale one
has given up the east zone, contended
the paper, and German reactionaries
have sacrificed German unity for their
business interests.
"The Economic Council is a product
of the splitting policy and is neither
a contribution to the establishment
of a German peace economy nor a
contribution  to  the  revival  of
European economy," concluded the
paper.
Neues Deutschland, Socialist Unity
Party organ, found the first session
"very unsatisfactory," declaring one
misses a "certain aim" in the
Economic Council. The SED paper
claimed that the only committee
members who showed up on time
were the Communists. It said much
time will have to be spent on ad-
ministrative questions before tackling
practical work.
In its article  on  the  Bizonal
Economic Council, the US licensed
Tagesspiegel pointed out that the next
month will prove whether the fine
words spoken at the first session will
be carried out in practice.
"It seems to us a good sign," noted
the paper, "that in their opening
speeches all members left open all
factors, both positive and negative
ones. Thus there is hope that the
western German economic parliament
will be able to circumvent the great
AS another possible danger, the
paper said there is a tendency to
bureaucratize the already unwieldy
economic organs.
Continuing, the paper said that the
establishment of the Economic Council
is a step on the way towards setting
up a federal republic.
"That's why one must prevent all
attempts to centralize the body,
attempts which are closely connected
with  bureaucratic  concentration,"
warned the paper. "It will be up to
the Frankfurt representatives whether
the Bavarian farmer and the West-
phalia worker will not get the feeling
they are governed from Frankfurt.
Centralism is bad not only when it
comes from Berlin, but also if it
comes from other places.
"Central direction of economy is
undoubtedly necessary, but centralism
in principle is not."
Winter Aided Shipping
The freezing of the Rhine during
February and March afforded inland
water transport the opportunity of
carrying out urgently needed repairs
on its tug fleet. When navigation was
again restored, the Bizonal Fleet was
in an excellent position to make full
use of its available equipment.
Plant Reports Checked
A study is being made by MG
officials of the accuracy of reports
submitted by manufacturing plants to
higher level German agencies. One
reason is to 'check whether inven-
tory, production, and similar reports
are being understated so that excess
over the amount reported can be
channeled to worker distribution and
compensation trading.
WEEKLY INFORMATION BULLETIN
danger
discuss
rbecome a
of achieving
concrete word . . .
14 JULY 1947
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