Dr. Fritz Schaeffer, Minister of Finance in the West German Cabinet, was among the members of the Bundestag who abstained yesterday during the vote on the ratification of the German-Israel agreement, it was established here today.
This caused a good deal of amazement, in view of the fact that Dr. Schaeffer is a leading member of the Christian Social Union, which is allied with Chancellor Adenauer’s Christian Democratic Union. Most of the deputies of Dr. Schaeffer’s group voted for ratification.
Among the abstainees were also Dr. von Merkatz, who, until recently, was State Secretary in the Adenauer Cabinet, and Franz Joseph Strauss, leader of the Christian Social Union, who is sometimes described as the next German Minister of Defense.
On the other hand, it was noted that Count von Streti, another leader of the Christian Social Union, was the government’s official spokesman in the Bundestag who yesterday opened the debate on ratification and called for its approval. He recounted the history of the agreement and drew the attention of the members of the Bundestag, the Lower House of the German Parliament, to the shock experienced by German deputies when members of the Israel Parliament refused to sit with them at the same table table in 1950 or at a meeting of the Interparliamentary Union in Istanbul. count von Streti recalled the role of intermediary played by Jacob Altmeir. Jewish member of the Bundestag in the initial stages of the negotiations between German and Israeli representatives which led to the drafting of the agreement signed at Luxemburg. He appealed to the Bundestag members to ratify the agreement in order to establish ”a bridge” for an understanding between Israel and Germany.
GERMANY’S COLLECTIVE GUILT FOR NAZI MURDER OF JEWS CITED
Dr. Eugen Gerstenmaier, speaking on behalf of Dr. Adenauer’s Christian Democratic Union, pointed out that although the number of Germans who helped Jews during the Nazi regime was sufficiently large to deny the thesis of collective guilt, it has also been too small to establish the thesis of collective innocence. He emphasized that it was for the honor of Germany that the Bundestag should approve the pact.
Dr. Walter Hasemann, leader of the Free Democratic Party, which is included in Adenauer’s governmental coalition, also spoke in favor of ratification. However, many members of his party walked out in protest while he was speaking. Even at that, his appeal was extremely weak kneed. He even combined his speech with a plea for changing existing restitution legislation in favor of Germans who ”aryanized” Jewish property during the Nazi regime, Many affirmative votes, he said. would be cast ”hesitatingly” but should nevertheless be cast.
Dr. Hans Joachim von Merkatz, speaking for the German Party, said that part of his delegation would vote in favor of ratification and part would vote against it. He, too, spoke against the ”new injustice” created by the restitution legislation.
Adolf von Thadden, speaking for the German and said that ”only 1,000,000” European Jews were annihilated during the Nazi regime. Oscar Mueller, speaking for the Communist deputies, also opposed ratification, as did Dr. Becker, spokesman of the Bavarian Party.
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