WEST GERMANY THE OLDEST GRAD THE TALL, GANGLING YOUTH WITH THE KAISER 
WILHELM MUSTACHE WAS A MODEL OF SELF-DISCIPLINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 
FREIBURG . LIMITED TO A SMALL MONTHLY ALLOWANCE OF $21, HE 
WAS NEVER KNOWN TO SQUANDER OR BORROW A PFENNIG . AT 
NIGHT, NODDING OVER HIS LAW BOOKS, HE WOULD TAKE OFF HIS 
SHOES AND SOCKS, IMMERSE HIS FEET IN A TUB OF COLD 
WATER TO STAY AWAKE . HE NEVER FOUGHT A DUEL, BUT 
HE WAS NO SQUARE . HE PLEDGED A FRATERNITY, ACQUIRED THE 
" BIERNAME " (DRINKING NICKNAME) OF " TONI, " AND AT 
FROTHY FUNCTIONS WOULD BANG HIS STEIN ON AN OAK TABLE IN 
UNISON WITH THE REST OF THEM . LATER, IN COLOGNE, HE 
DAZZLED THE FRAULEINS AT THE LOCAL PUDELNASS (SOPPING WET) TENNIS CLUB 
. AMONG THOSE WHO KNEW HIM, MANY WERE SURPRISED WHEN KONRAD 
ADENAUER (CLASS OF 1897) GREW UP TO BE A POLITICIAN AND 
EVENTUALLY CHANCELLOR OF WEST GERMANY . LAST WEEK ADENAUER'S COLLEGE DAYS 
BECAME A TOPIC OF NATIONAL DISCUSSION . ADDRESSING A NOSTALGIC REUNION 
OF ALTE HERREN (OLD GRADS), THE CHANCELLOR DEFENDED GERMANY'S TRADITION OF 
FRATERNITIES, WHICH ARE WIDELY ACCUSED OF FOSTERING AUTHORITARIANISM . THOUGH AT 
87 ADENAUER HAS SEEN MOST IF NOT ALL OF HIS OLD 
FRATERNITY CLASSMATES DIE, HE IS STILL A LOYAL MEMBER OF ARMINIA 
(MOTTO : TRUE ! FREE ! ) . SAID DER ALTE 
: " WHEN A STUDENT ENTERS THE UNIVERSITY, HE OR SHE 
IS NEITHER A FINISHED MAN NOR A FINISHED WOMAN . ONE 
IS NEVER COMPLETELY FINISHED IN LIFE . A BOY NEEDS A 
SPECIAL ATMOSPHERE . IT IS LIKE A PLANT THAT GROWS UP, 
OR A YOUNG TREE . IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE AIR 
IS, ON THE SURROUNDINGS HE IS IN, ON THE EARTH THAT 
GIVES HIM NOURISHMENT . I BELIEVE A STUDENTENKORPORATION (FRATERNITY) CAN GIVE 
A YOUNG STUDENT A GREAT DEAL . I LOOK BACK AT 
MY STUDENT TIME AND CAN ONLY SAY THAT THE ATMOSPHERE WHICH 
I FOUND IN THE FRATERNITIES HAS AFFECTED ME FOR MY WHOLE 
LIFE . THE STUDENT CAN ONLY BE RAISED BY THE FELLOWSHIP 
OF HIS PEERS . " AS FOR THE BURGEONING REVIVAL OF 
FRATERNITIES SINCE WORLD WAR II (40 PER CENT OF WEST GERMAN 
STUDENTS NOW BELONG), DER ALTE MAINTAINED THAT " AFTER THE TERRIBLE 
COLLAPSE AT THE END OF THE WAR, THE RISE OF SUCH 
A TRADITION IS OF VERY VITAL AND GREAT SIGNIFICANCE FOR ALL 
THE GERMAN PEOPLE . " AFTER HIS SPEECH, ADENAUER TOOK TIME 
TO INSPECT THE SPECIAL OFFICES IN BONN'S PARLIAMENT BUILDING THAT ARE 
BEING MADE READY FOR HIM TO OCCUPY AFTER HIS OFTPOSTPONED BUT 
NOW FIRMLY PROMISED RETIREMENT AS CHANCELLOR THIS FALL . WHEN HE 
STEPS DOWN, ADENAUER IS SUPPOSED TO CONFINE HIMSELF TO BEING A 
PARLIAMENTARY DEPUTY, NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF HIS CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION AND THE 
OLDEST SURVIVING MEMBER OF ARMINIA . NAMED FOR THE TEUTONIC HERO 
ARMINIUS, WHOSE FORCES ANNIHILATED THREE ROMAN LEGIONS UNDER GENERAL VARUS IN 
A.D . 9 . 