W. German Chancellor Proposes Unification

BONN, West Germany--Chancellor Helmut Kohl yesterday announced a plan to draw the two Germanys into an informal confederation that eventually would lead to reunification. West Germany's major opposition party also called for unity.

Kohl's 30-minute address to Parliament was the most through delineation of his vision of eliminating the partition imposed at the end of World War II.

In East Germany, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in five cities Monday night, pressuring the ruling Communists to keep their reform promises in what for many has become a weekly ritual.

One of the biggest cheers among the 200,000 demonstrators in Leipzig came when one speaker called for a referendum on German unity. East Germany's Communist leaders oppose a reunification.

In a 10-point plan, Kohl proposed steps be taken to "develop confedera- tive structures between the two states inGermany in order to create a federation, a federalorder."

He stressed, however, that such measures couldonly be undertaken if there are truly freeelections in East Germany that includenon-socialist parties. East Germany's newCommunist leaders have said free elections couldbe held as early as next fall.

Kohl also said steps toward Germanreunification must be linked to improved East-Westrelations and a new European order based oncooperation, economic integration and greaterfreedom of movement.

"The future structure of Germany must fit intothe whole architecture of Europe as a whole," hesaid.

The West German leader suggested that jointconsultative committees with East Germany becreated at some point, including a jointparliamantary panel.

"New forms of institutional co-operation couldbe created and further developed in stages. Such acoming together is in the interest of thecontinuation of German history," Kohl said.

Kohl said West Germany is prepared to offer"concrete assistance" to East Germany.

Earlier, Hans-Jochen Vogel, the leader of theopposition Social Democrats, proposed aconfederation between the two German states as aninterim step toward unity. Vogel also insistedGerman unity come as part of the process ofoverall European integration.

Vogel used the word "unity" rather than formal"reunification" in his speech to Parliament.

In the past, the Social Democrats havecautioned against hastening toward German unity orreunification, while some in the leftist partyhave flatly opposed it.

The ZDF television network said Kohl gave nodates for the completion of his plan in an earliertalk with governing party lawmakers.

Under the pressure of a public demanding an endto 40 years of authoritarian one-party rule, EastGermany has undergone dizzying changes sincehard-line Communist Erich Honecker was ousted Oct.18 and replaced by Egon Krenz.

Kohl has previously said he envisions aneventually reunited Germany "under the roof" of aunited Europe, and not one that is at odds withits neighbors and other countries.

The East Berlin leadership rejectsreunification, although Communist leaders therehave expressed interest recently in a vaguelydefined confederation between the two states.

The newspaper Bild said Kohl's plan includessetting up joint German-German committees to"coordinate cooperation" in economic matters,crime-prevention, ecology and other domesticareas, while "leaving membership to NATO and theWarsaw Pact untouched."

Government spokesman Hans Klein said Kohl maytravel to East Germany on Dec. 19 for talks withEast Germany's leaders on proposals for increasedcooperation between the two states