The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-04
way to wreck both U. N. O. and
the whole business of peacemak-

way to wreck both U. N. O. and
the whole business of peacemak-
ing.
A deadlock exists in Berlin,
brought about because France will
not agree to a central admin:stra-
ton of Germany until there is an
agreement about the Rrhr, the
Saar, and the Rhineland. The
deadlock is costly and dangerous.
But the President has received
some exceedingly bad advice from
Mr.. Byron Price, who in his other
observations about Germany has
shown once more his great gifts as
reporter and his excellent judg-
ment. Mr.. Price has advised the
President to 'use the full force
and prestige of American diplo.
matte power against France to
break the present deadlock in the
Control Council at Berlin.
He should have advised the
President to use the full force and
prestige Of American diplomacy to
break the deadlock which has ex-
listed since Potsdam over the set
telment of the western border.
lands of Germany. It was a car.
dinal error, probably the cardinal
error, of the Potsdam conference
that we agreed to fix the eastern
frontier of Germany and failed al
the same time to fix the western.
To set up a central German ad.
ministration in the Ruhr, the
Rhineland, and the Saar before
there has been a decision as to
whether and in what degree these
territories are to remain under
German sovereignty, j: to put the
cart before the horse. How car
there be central German admin.
istration until there is an agree
ment as to where the authority Of
a central German administration
is to begin and end?
The French are quite right in
saying that if they agree now tc
put these territories under the con.
troll Of Berlin, they will have lost
their case before they have had a
chance to argue it. The way tc
break the deadlock. therefore, is
not to coerce President De Gaulle,
who is not easily coerced, but to
60 to London and to Paris and in.
sist on bringing about an agree.
ment on western Germany, which
will be acceptable also to Moscow,
Brussels and The Hague.
This should have been item one
on the agenda Of the London con.
ference, and if we had European,
policy which put first things first
Distinguishing what is urgent and
necessary from what is secondary
and transitory. this question would
have had top priority in the State
Department before Potsdam, and
since Potsdam.. For until it is set.
tied it is impossible to deal intelli.
gent1y WIN Germany, to make any
durable decisions about repara.
tons, demilitarization, denazifica.
ton, or the restoration of German
self-government.
Surely by this time we should
have learned not only that the
France of De Gaulle cannot be
overridden but that the views Of
M. De Gaulle on the settlement Of
Europe are those of a statesman
who understands Europe as few il
any other heads of governments
today understand it. Even If we
could coerce him, which probably
we cannot, It would be foolish to
try. For in the tragic muddle
which Europe is in today we dare
not disregard a leader and states
men Of such proven caliber, and
if we were wise and had the capac.
should instead be looking to him
ity to learn from experiece, we
for guidance and should newer fail
to seek his advice.