Now that England, France, and the United States have written an occupation statute for the Western German State, a satisfactory constitution must be drawn up by a convention of German politicians at Bohn. At this convention the Social Democratic Party has refused to accept Allied proposals on the constitution because it thinks the directives make for a future weak central government. While Social Democrats claim that a weak state cannot be economically successful or properly defend itself against aggression, their opponents at Bonn, the Christian Democrats, want the weak central government as proposed. This dispute has deadlocked the convention.

Although the Christian Democratic Party has many members in the industrial Ruhr area, where there is a more liberal attitude, it must maintain its strength in conservative Bavaria. This agricultural state has no need or wish for possible government interference in its economy and has threatened to withdraw from any strong state that may be established. In Bavaria the Christian Democrats are joined in a weak coalition with far-right Christian Socialists; any concession at Bonn by the C.D.'s would destroy the uneasy union, and lose for them this second most populous of the eleven West German States.

In their latest memo to Bonn, the Allies asked that financial powers in the constitution be left largely in the hands of the separate states. This was a big pat on the back for the Christian Democrats and their conservative backers. Although the Social Democrats still refused to make any compromise with their opponents or with the Allies, they may back down. They know there will probably be no more concessions from the united allies, or from the Christian Democrats who are now certain of Allied support.

On the other hand, the German people know how important the state of their country is to Western Europe at this time, from an economic or a military point of view. The fact that a political rupture within Germany is a constant headache to the West, is a good bargaining point for Social Democrats at Bonn. The growing hope among many of the German people for complete unification can also be exploited. In fact, Russia, in an effort to take advantage of those hopes, has already established a "People's Congress" in the Eastern Zone, which is ready to announce a new "All German State" and invite unification as soon as a Western State is set up. Russian propaganda constantly reminds the people and the convention delegates that they "don't have to give in at Bonn"--they can always join the Eastern State and become a whole nation again.

Such propaganda, plus the Allied check on nationalist hopes at Bonn, may persuade enough delegates not to give in, but to keep on trying to get exactly what they want so there will be no constitution at all. Even if the Allies give in to the Social Democrats the action would antagonize the Christian Democrats and result only in another deadlock. If the Bonn council does fail it will be a major defeat for the Western powers who have committed themselves to a German State, and the Germans and Russians know it--perhaps too well.