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Military government weekly information bulletin
Number 50 (July 1946)
German reactions, p. 21
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Page 21
Berlin Press Views Zone-Wide Elections Discussion of the Zone-wide elections for constitutional assemblies has been featured in recent editorials by the Berlin press. Der Tagesspiegel, US-licensed paper, found the elections to be the most important which have been held in the American area because they laid the basis for the future federal structure of the German state. In its editorial regarding the elections, Neues Deutschland, organ of the Socialist Unity Party, attacked the constitutional drafts, claiming that they have been drawn up by "those circles which had various reas- ons for undermining the demands of the progressive forces of Germany for a political and economically united Germany." Declar- ing that the elections will have a great im- portance for all of Germany, the paper states that the candidates who are elected will have to make important decisions regarding the unity or splitting of Germany. Fear is ex- pressed that the CSU will continue to remain under the influence of forces which want to use the CSU as a basis for reaction. Kurier, French licensed paper, observed that part of the propaganda regarding the elections has been very strong, but interest on the part of the people has been weak. ". . . This fourth series of elections is the most important one carried through this year," states the paper, reasoning that "the new bodies will have to draw up the first constitutions which might have a great in- terest on the future structure of Germany." Saxonian Plebescite Commenting on the Saxonian plebescite, Taegliche Rundschau, Soviet organ, declares: "With this decision the Saxonian population have demonstrated their determination to put an end to the rule of the Hlitlerists and those who pushed the German people into the criminal war .. . By their decision the popu- lation of the federal Land, Saxony, have shown to all working people of Germany and the whole world that they are willing to take the way of democratization of Ger- many. There is no doubt that people all over the world who have been following at- tentively the events in post-war Germany will gain the fullest satisfaction from this important and significant decision . . ."' Another comment on the plebiscite comes from Der Tagesspiegel, which points out that the result was not unexpected, adding further that one doesn't really know now whether the 'no' votes were cast by real democrats or real reactionaries. Question of Federalism The question of federalism was pointedly discussed by German newspapers in the US Zone in pre-election editorials on proposed constitutions, according to Information Con- trol reports on press opinions. Calling for a constitution based on the principle of "self-government ... not s trangl- ed by centralistic bureaucracy," the Frank- furter Neue Presse said "If one talks about federalism, then, first of all, we must abolish the false federalism and replace it by real federalist planning that has its roots in clean- cut economic and regional units. The Allied Military Government has done valuable spade work in this field that will save Ger- man political groups many an embarrassing dicision." The Frankfurter Rundschau, however, at- tacking all federalistic elements in the future constitution, said, "It is high time that the work of the constitutional draft will be en- trusted with the representatives of the work people. Yet, the people want a constitution which realizes their desire for freedom, de- mocracy and socialism." 21
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