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[[image - black and white line drawing of a political gathering]]

General

REACTIVATION OF POLITICAL LIFE IN WIESBADEN

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SOON after General Eisenhower's message of August 6th, in which he stated that ". . . you will be permitted to form trade unions and to engage in local political activities, and meetings for these purposes may be held subject to the approval of local Military Government," delegates from three separate political factions presented themselves and their petitions at the offices of Detachment F-15 in WIESBADEN.

THE PARTIES APPLY

On August 9th, a Mr. Hans Hartmann (who was recently arrested for illegal possession of U.S. Army supplies, and black-market activities) introduced himself as the spokesman for the Communist Party of Wiesbaden, and asked for information regarding the authorizing of political groups as mentioned in General Eisenhower's message. Since the responsibilities for supervising the reformation of organized political activity had been delegated to local MGOs, Lt Col Malcolm Hay, then commanding F-15, designated Lieutenant Tobland to draw up a standard operating procedure. The old-line Democrats, represented by Dr. August Amann, President of the Wiesbaden Chamber of Commerce, visited the detachment toward the end of August, and stated that at that time the Democrats would call themselves the "Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft" pending meetings and discussions with various elements of
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[[Boxed text: The History of Detachment F-15, Stadtkreis Wiesbaden, gives an interesting picture of local political development.]]

the Deutsche Volkspartei, some labor factions, and members of the old Centrum group. Finally on September 15th Dr. Amann announced that the above-mentioned factions had been welded into one political entity, to be known henceforth as the Christian Democratic Party. Thus there was a fusion of the old-line Democrats with Church elements as well as some of the rightwing Labor blocs. The Fragebogen, statutes, and a list of names comprising the executive Body of the Party were submitted concurrently with this announcement.

Meantime, on September 19th, Lieutenant Tobland called in two members of each party and held a general meeting in which revised policies on the formation of political groups were outlined to them. He also reiterated General EISENHOWER's wish that all organizations, political or otherwise, devote their primary considerations and first efforts in preparing for the coming winter. All delegates assented vigorously to this pronouncement. And it was added that under no circumstances would the capitalizing of bad economic, social, and moral conditions be permitted for any purpose whatever.

Several days later, on September 23th, the various parties submitted lists of
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