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tions with communis t Eastern
E
u
ro pe .
Through
Ostpolitik.
relations
between the two Ge rman states
improved markedly. Thousands
of e thnic Germans havc been
resettled from East Germany and
other communist areas. Tensions
over Berlín have been reduced
since a
break–
through
tr ea ty in
1972.
Bon n 's
trade with
the East bloc has
increased so s ignifican tly that it
now accounts for onc fourth of
West Germany's foreign trade.
This is obviously not something
to place Iightly in jeopardy.
Public Complacency
Throughout Western Europe
there is a sp lit developing
between the politicians- at–
tempting to follow Amer ica's
lead-and an increas ingly reluc–
tant public mood, described by
sorne as " incipient neutralism,"
by others as sheer complacency.
West Gcrmans a nd o ther
Western Europeans havc become
accustomed- too accustomed–
to the peace and prospcrity pro–
vided by thc NATO shield s ince
1949.
1
n his reccnt state of the nation
address, Chancellor Schmidt told
his countrymen that they had
become spoiled . He said t hat they
"must free themselves from the
single-minded consumer demands
that were brought about by socie–
ty's economic growth. "
NATO Secretary-General Jo–
seph Luns complains that " there
is the impression among the
Western European public that
detente is an irrevers ible . pro–
cess." A West German diplomat
adds that " people here do not
believe, or do not want
to
believe,
in the Soviet threat."
There is a growing feeling that
to accept the pl an ned U .S.
nuclear mis's iles would only upset
Moscow further, lead ing to a
stepped-up Soviet missi le threat.
Moscow, aware of the Euro–
pean mood, is doing its bcst
June/ July 198 1
to exploit it, to discourage the
acceptance of the Euro-missi le
counterforce.
Youths Rebel
The opposit ion to the tougher U.S.
s tance is strong in the Netherlands
and growi ng in West Germany.
C hurch officials joined leftists and
cnvi ronmental ists in moun ting a
crusade to bar the cruise missiles
slated for the Nctherlands in 1983
as well as the removal of short–
range nuclear weapons a lrcady
there. Washi ngton's speculat ion
about reviving the neu tron bomb
issue has resulted in an emotional
outburs t in the Netherlands.
In West Ge rmany, there is a
dcfinite schism developing
in the country's reaction to
the new American post ure.
The "soft" a pproac h is
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