Before flying off at week's end for his visit to the U.S., Konrad Adenauer showed again that at 80 he is still his country's and Europe's most commanding figure. In three decisive moves, he:
¶ Settled the thorny Saar dispute with France (see below).
¶ Made a compromise with the opposition parties that assured passage of his conscription bill.
¶ Put an end to the sabotaging tactics of his pfennig-pinching Economy Minister Fritz Schaffer by negotiating an agreement to pay $260 million in support of U.S. troops in Germany.
With these three achievements, he was ready to face the U.S.,...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
