Outside Factor May Be Decisive in Crisis• U . Faces Chowe ii n Germany, 4 \ By A ato,e ub Washington Poet Foreign Service BONN, July 12 — "The f State Robert Murphy de- Turning Point," "The Break- ribes in his memoirs, for through," "The Loser's xample, how just after the Name is Evhard," "Erhard's ar he deposed the provi- Countdown Begins" — these lanai Social Democratic are some of the headlines in ayor of unich and in- German newspapers today. ailed his "old good friend" With virtual unanimity, ritz Schaefer of the con- West German editors de- rvative Catholic People's clare that last Sunday's So- arty instead. The Socialists cial Democratic election d never ruled Bavaria, triumph in North Rhine- rphy explains. ((The Westphalia marks a major esent Mayor of Munich, milestone in postwar nation- cial Democrat Hans-Joch- al politics and calls the fu- Vogel, is the most popu- ture of Chancellor Erhard 1 In the city's history.) into question. imilarly, from the While presses and public m ent the United States are still buzzing over the d Wed on German rear- Rhine results, the politi- m ent, first Dean Acheson cians are attempting to then the Dulles broth- draw the tactical conseq- e supported Adenauer and uences. National leaders of C D U to the hilt, over- Erich Mende's Free Demo- tl and covertly. cratic Party met here today. The policy changed with The Social Democratic and the inauguration of Pres- News Analysis Christian .Democratic Union ident Kennedy, who dis- National executive com- liked former Chancellor mittees will meet again Adenauer and made little he interregnum between Thursday. In Duesseldorf, secret of the fact that Ber- r. Kennedy's death and lin Mayor Willy Brandt was meanwhile, negotiations resident Johnson's reelec- have already begun among his favorite German. However, beginning with tion, there was another the three parties on forming change. Senior State De- a new state government for North Phine-Westphalia. partment architects swung The sorting-out process is their weight behind the C expected to last for weeks. DU trio of Erhard, Foreign The situation is very deli- Mister Gerhard Schroeder cately balanced, with many nd Defense Minister Kai- conflicting personal ambi- we von Hassel, who were tions, regional loyalties, onsidered most zealous in economic interests and con- he struggle against French stitutional complications in residet de Gaulle and for play. e creation of a 'multilater- rat may well be, however, al nuclear force. t the decisive influence U.S. officials here made the crisis over the corn- no secret of their preferen- g months will be wielded ces. "We couldn't possibly none of these men, but get any better than Erhard, an outside factor—the Schroeder and von Hassel," nited States. one high official freely ad- Nile it is one of the po- vised visitors. Schroeder ll fictions of diplomacy was tosted at American t no government ever In- gatherings as "the man who t feces in the internal af- has done more than any one f s of another, this has in Europe to relax ten- b n even more fictional sions." th regard to the United In last summer's national S tes in West Germany election campaign, the U.S. n in most cases. Embassy was officially neu- tiormer Under Secretary tral, but high officers in T 's appears to be the pre- Bonn were consistently de- minant instinct among nigrating Brandt ("Poor Wil- e local U.S. diplomatic d intelligence bureaucra- ly isn't what he used to be") t'. even though the Americans On the other hand, the in Berlin still liked the United States could give de- Mayor. cisive encourgagement to Although the State De- the movement for a "grand partment will doubtless coalition" of Christian De- deny it, the fact is the Unit- mocrats and Social Demo- ed States now faces an im- crats if it regards other pur- portant choice in West Ger- poses as central. many. I Such a coalition would t will be exercising the ndoubtedly make it easier choice in the coming weeks o achieve a nuclear notipro- not only on public occasions 'feration treaty; a "consul- —such as Secretary of De- tative" rather than "hard- fense Robert S. McNamara's ware" solution to the atomic visit here next week and Er- problem in the alliance; re- hard's projected visit to duction of the U.S. garrison Washington in September– here from six to four divi- but also in dozens of private ions (and Consequent eas- conversations with the ng of Vietnam manpower numerous, undecided, mid- trains as well as the "offset dle-level German politicians osts" controversy); the be- who now hold the balance ginnings of a realistic policy of power. toward Czechoslovakia and If the United States con- °land, and a host of over- " iders its main interest here due internal reforms. to be the maintenance of a U.S. Ambassador George and line toward the Soviet C. McGhee is a loyal public nion and determined op- servant who will carry out osition to Gaullist France, his intructions. So the t will continue to support choice, by conscious deci- nd perhaps can preserve sion or default, will be e Erhard government. made in Washington.