In Spite of Himself

Ludwig Erhard, who turned 69 last week, has neither skill nor stomach for back-room politics, relies instead on his formidable success as a university-trained economist to hold the favor of West German voters. Now, however, he is caught in a dreadful dilemma: he may have to take up Parteipolitik in self-defense.

His problem has to do with the chairmanship of the party he rode (or carried) to power, the Christian Democratic Union. Canny old Konrad Adenauer clung to the job even after he stepped down as Chancellor nearly three years ago at the age of 87, and has used the post to embarrass his rotund successor with anti-Erhard maneuverings inside the party. Last month, Adenauer decided at last to give up the C.D.U. chairmanship, hoped to install a candidate sympathetic to his policies, preferably Interior Minister Paul Luecke, in the balloting at the C.D.U. convention next month.

Erhard had a candidate of his own who could probably have beaten Luecke: able, industrious C.D.U. Party Manager Josef-Hermann Dufhues, 57. But last week Dufhues announced that for "personal" reasons, he would not run for the post. For lack of any other suitable Erhard man, der Dicke last week was grimacing at the prospect that he might have to take over the C.D.U. chairmanship and become a politician in spite of himself.

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