US to cut troop levels in Germany by 5,000 amid Trump spat with Merz

BONN, Germany, Feb. 11. The Western allies and the Bonn government today appeared headed for a serious dispute over West German financial support for allied troops stationed here. In an unusual move the allied high commission publicly took issue with statements by Federal Finance Minister Fritz Schaeffer that the Germans are not obligated to help support foreign troops in the country after next July 1. Claim Contradicted The high commission contradicted Mr. Schaeffer's claim that the allies have agreed to hold down defense costs paid by the Germans to 800 million marks ($142,800,000) a month until the start of the new defense year on July 1. And the allies made plain that they expect the Germans to fulfill their pledges to continue contributing to Western defense despite plans to cut income taxes by 10 per cent this spring. Mr. Schaeffer's statements on defense costs were made late last month when he placed the new federal budget before Parliament. He said the Bonn government has declared, "And this statement has been accepted and repeated in foreign states" that it will not contribute to the costs of stationing Allied troops here after July 1. Delay on European Army The finance minister apparently anticipated that the proposed European army to include West Germany would be rolling by this date, with the Bonn government making one financial contribution to this force instead of to the American, British and French troops in Germany at now.