The Death of a Friend And Other Matters

Interrupting a Lake Como holiday. Konrad Adenauer hurried home last week for the funeral of one of his oldest friends. Cologne Banker Robert Pferdmenges, 82. To another man, the occasion might have served as a reminder of his own advancing years, but not to der Alte. At 86, after 13 years as Chancellor, Adenauer still relishes the power that came to him so late in life--and, though he has agreed in writing to step down in the fall of 1963, he is now looking for a way to cling to that power a little longer.

Adenauer signed the agreement to retire last year, when his Christian Democratic Union lost its parliamentary majority and the Free Democrats demanded the promise in exchange for their support. But Adenauer soon was telling friends that nothing he had signed could bind him to quit next year. Last week, sooner than Adenauer had intended to announce the news, a longtime associate let it be known that the Chancellor is seriously considering running for the ceremonial office of President in 1964 to guarantee continuity of policy--and also to buy himself another year as Chancellor. Nobody, after all. would insist that he vacate the chancellorship in 1963 if he intends to move over to the presidency in 1964. Adenauer is still fighting to keep Economics Minister Ludwig Erhard from becoming his successor; he considers Erhard too weak and indecisive to be Chancellor.

Faced with Adenauer's maneuvers. Free Democrat Leader Erich Mende angrily warned he would topple the coalition government by withdrawing his support if Adenauer went back on his pledge to quit. Nor were CDU party members any happier. At CDU meetings all over the country, members demanded that Erhard, brilliant architect of Germany's prosperity, be clearly designated Adenauer's successor. When one politician introduced Erhard and spoke of his "future leadership" at a rally in Berlin's Sportpalast last week, a crowd of 7,000 cheered wildly.

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