The Holdout

When London's New Statesman offered a prize for the most sensational headline, some wits felt that the winning entry should be ADENAUER DEAD.

Last week, smiling and erect at 86, the incredibly durable Alte seemed livelier than ever as he rose to address the Christian Democratic party conference at Dortmund. His major concern clearly was the pack of daily rumors and counter-rumors about when he would retire. "I should like to speak a word about this very openly," declared Adenauer, admitting that he had written a letter just before last September's elections ruling himself out as a candidate in 1965. But, he added coyly, "I did not mention a date. I think it was right not to do so, my friends, for retiring from this office will depend on a number of domestic, foreign and personal considerations. It is totally incorrect to say that the Adenauer era is coming to an end."

His audience applauded sympathetically, but almost everyone knew that Konrad Adenauer was not telling the whole truth. The Chancellor's letter promising to step down "in time to enable my successor to prepare-for the 1965 election campaign" added the key words, "that is, by the middle of the legislative term." That means late next year, and his coalition partners, the Free Democrats, mean to hold him to his promise, although no one would seriously object if der Alte stayed on just long enough to celebrate his 88th birthday (Jan. 5, 1964) in the Palais Schaumburg.

Although the old man still has a lot of strength in him, the end of the Adenauer era is indeed in sight. No more eloquent evidence was needed than the voting list when it came time to reconfirm der Alte in his office as C.D.U. party chairman. For the first time in anyone's memory, Adenauer did not win the party's overwhelming consent; in fact, 15% of the delegates abstained or voted against him.

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