Dr. Adenauer in 10 Downing Street

On 3 December 1951 the Federal Chancellor, aged 75, came on his first official visit to meet Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Foreign Secretary Sir Anthony Eden. He was accompanied by Herbert Blankenhorn, Assistant Secretary in the Auswärtige Amt, and Hans von Herwarth, Chief of Protocol, both soon to become Ambassadors in London. There was a first meeting with Churchill and Eden that afternoon, a reception by the Anglo-German Association and a dinner given by Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, the British High Commissioner in Germany.

During his 5-day visit Adenauer stayed at Claridges. He was impressed by the smoothness of the London traffic flow, people queuing patiently in the rain at bus stops, the absence of ill-mannered pushing and shoving, a quiet, disciplined capital and lacking in frivolity. But that was 40 years ago! The press was not hostile, but even the friendly Manchester Guardian noted among the Anglo-German "doubts and differences" Adenauer's suspicion of Churchill and Churchill's policy towards Russia. There was a small crowd of demonstrators in Downing Street shouting "No arms for the Nazis" and "Adenauer, go home". It surprised the Chancellor; it was the most unfriendly reception he had experienced in any foreign country. But when afterwards in the House of Commons he witnessed some people shouting from the gallery similar abuses meant for Churchill and Eden, he accepted what he was told by his shoulder-shrugging hosts: "It's a free country!"

During his talks Adenauer attacked what to him was the central problem, Britain's attitude to European integration, and mentioned the remark made to him by Herbert Morrison, Foreign Secretary of the Labour Government, that England was anxious to be "a good neighbour" which to Adenauer seemed not enough. From the official record of their historic conversation printed in Paul Weymar's authorised Biography of Konrad Adenauer (Andre Deutsch, 1957, p. 457), the exchange went as follows:

Churchill: "Neighbours of Europe but not in Europe."

Adenauer: "It seems to me that it would be sufficient if Britain were to declare clearly and unmistakably where her sympathies lie."

Churchill: "England's task is to maintain the balance. Germany is stronger than France, and France is haunted by fear of a German attack. In such an event we should place ourselves on the side of France, although I do not anticipate that such an event will occur."

Adenauer: "One must not even utter such a thought! I beg of you to have confidence in Germany. The Germans incline towards extremes. Often their approach is too theoretical. But we have paid dearly for our lessons. Today Germany is a shapeless mass which has to be remoulded. What matters is whether this is done by good or bad hands."

Churchill: "It is not possible completely to eradicate all national sentiment. Germany and France must be friends and walk together. Great Britain will do everything she can to contribute to this German-French friendship. Germany is stronger than France - and the equilibrium is established with the help of England."

Adenauer then tackled his nightmare of a new "Yalta", an understanding with Russia at Germany's expense.

Eden: "Germany need not fear, now or ever, that we shall sell her to the Soviet Union. Britain will only act in accord with the Federal Republic."

Churchill: "That is correct. We shall not betray you. If the West is strong enough, the Soviet Union may possibly yield and agree to a reunification of Germany. But we would never consider coming to an understanding with the Soviets at the expense of Germany. Only a false friendship could spring from such a betrayal."

Adenauer: "We may therefore count on the support of Britain?"

Churchill: "We stand by our word..."

In December 1953, the Foreign Secretary Sir Anthony Eden and other members of the Government for the first time attended a Reception at the Schlange-Schöningen Rutland Gate residence. Although as Chargé d' affaires he was accredited to the Foreign Office only, he was personally and practically regarded as Ambassador and, in almost five years, succeeded in having many doors opened to the new Germany in British public life. Because of their own origin, Dr. Schlange-Schöningen and his wife took a personal interest in the German refugees, mainly women from the Eastern part of Germany who, after the War, sought domestic and hospital work in Britain. Their number was estimated at 30,000. As a landowner from beyond the Eastern banks of the Elbe Schlange-Schöningen was not among Dr. Adenauer's close associates. And with hopes of his own return to German politics, he wrote privately to the Chancellor in the autumn of 1954, suggesting that perhaps it was time for a younger man to take over in London.