from a Parliamentary correspondent
On March lst, Mr. Arthur Lewis, Labour M.P. for West Ham North, asked Mr. H Dennis Healey, the Defence Minister, if he was aware that the British Government was assisting the West German Government in its efforts to recover what are known as the Easter Territories by ยป criculating the West German sheet, Focus on Germany, in each issue of the official newsheets published by the British Army of the Rhine. Mr. Lewis went on to ask Mr. Healey if he would stop this distribution because the sheet contained a map which showed large parts of Poland and the Soviet Union as part of Germany. Mr. Healey agreed to this request and said that the B.A.O.R. had been asked to delete this map from future editions.
However, on Monday March 15th, in angwer to a further question from Mr. Lewis, Mr. Healey announced that the original order had been rescinded. Mr. Healey claimed that the original reply had been based upon a misunderstanding. He went on: "I have since found that the map shows the 1937, rather than the 1939, frontiers of Germany e Had it been the 1939 frontiers it would have been most objectionable. But the 1937 frontiers are a different matter,"
This decision is an important indication of the attitude of at least a part of the Cabinet on the question. It nay also reflect West German pressure - Mr. Harold Wilson has been to West Germany between the first and second time this came up in Parliament, The 19457 frontiers included East Prussia (now divided between Poland and the Soviet Union) and Silesia and Pomerania (most of which are now Polish) as part of Germany. The transfer of these territories was agreed at Potsdam. It is inconceivable that they could be returned to Germany without war,