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comment he once made about the fate of the Weimar Re-
public. He deplored the lack there of an "orderly, state-
preserving, patriotic middle group" which would have
checked the Nazis.
Minister of the Interior Robert Lehr
Robert Lehr, Christian Democrat (CDU) Minister of the
Interior, is the oldest member of the Cabinet in years but
the youngest in point of service, having replaced Gustav
Heinemann in October of last year after Mr. Heinemann's
disagreement, with Dr. Adenauer over German contribu-
tion to Western defense.
Mr. Lehr lost his job as mayor of Duesseldorf in the
Brownshirt year of 1933, rose after the war through the
zonal council, state government and parliamentary coun-
cil to the CDU bench in the Bundestag. Now Police Ex-
pert Lehr is responsible for security measures to protect
the Federal Republic against anti-democratic forces shoot-
ing from left and right. In his spare time he is president of
the Society for the Protection of German Forests.
Minister Lehr would like to see more official interest
in West German youth, as an antidote to Soviet Zone
FDJ "Free German Youth" siren songs. Budgeter Schaef-
fer has approved in the neighborhood of DM 13,500,000
(approximately $3,200,000y for Mr. Lehr's program of trade-
'ER KONRAD ADENAUER.                learning assistance, hostels and democratic
education.
Federal Cabinet
ISTER FRANZ BLUECHER.                 Mr. Lehr was asked: How large a federal
police force
do you think you need to combat dangerous elements
within the state?
He replied: Italy, which like the Federal Republic has
about 48,000,000 inhabitants, has a well-equipped mobile
police force of 160,000 men. In view of the dangerous
geographical situation of the Federal Republic, a mobile
police at least as large as the old Prussian Schutzpolizei
(protection police - 90,000 men) would be necessary.
Asked about. co-ordination of the state police under
the direction of the Republic, Mr.Lehr said: Under Ar-
ticle 91 of the Basic Law, the occasion for police inter-
vention arises only in emergencies. No preliminary ex-
ecutive measures to make such intervention efficient are
allowed under the constitution. The administrative agree-
ments between the Republic and the states concerning
structure and action of the state police have not proved
to be a sufficient measure to prepare interventions. This
can only be accomplished by a revision of the constitu-
tion and the organization of a Federal Police. A two-
thirds majority of the Bundestag (lower house) and the
Bundesrat (upper house) is needed for such a change.
LUDWIG ERHARD.
* Photos by Claude Jacoby, PRD HICOG; Schafgans, Bonn; Sandau,
Bonn, and Fritz Brieke Soehne, Frankfurt.
IINISI
MINI
FRITZ SCHAEFI-ER.
ANTON STORCH.