Evening star., 1950-10-31
Defense Chiefs
Meet Again, but
Outlook IsDark
France Adumont in
Efforts to Restrict
German Military Role
By JohnSA. Giles

North Atlantic defense ministers
met again today with indications
that it might be impossible to
break the Franco American dead
lock over when and how German
troops should be Incorporated into
Western European defense forces.
Still silent on what exactly had
been accomplished and what still
was in debate after two days Of
sessions, the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization Defense Com
mittee recessed after six hours Of
Wraneling last night. No COM
munioue was issued. A spokes-
man said only the conferees would
gather again at Departmental Au-
ditorium today and that a sched-
uled field trip had been deferred.
But it was reliably reported that
France stood alone in the idea
that the collective military force
to meet the threat of Communist
aggression should consist of ma
tional units of no larger than reg
iment size and that there should
be created top-level body of
defense ministers for Western
Europe.
Quick Action Sought.
This was the plan recently enun-
ciated by French Premier Pleven
to limit German participation in
the international force and to hold
in check any possibility that Ger
man militarism might again face
France.
The so-called American plan
for German participation calls for
German forces of division size.
The United States and Britain
want action now, quickly.
There appeared to be strong
possibility that the problem might
be assigned to an interim COM
mittee and then handed back to
the North Atlantic Council-the
top policy-making outfit COM
posed of the foreign ministers Of
1.-The IL signatory powers.
! It was the Council, meeting in
New York last September, which
instructed the defense committee
to come up with a plan for Ger
man participation "at the earliest
possible moment" The military
committee. which met here last
week, did not make any recon-
mendations in this regard and it
might be asked for some sort Of
plan in view of the defense min.
listers deadlock.
No one has intimated that fail.
ure to reach accord on the Ger
man rearmament question would
mean that there would be no COM
bined force of British, French.
American and other units in
Western Europe. 1t may be that
ultimately the impasse will require
that the Atlantic powers go ahead
with setting up the force without
reckoning on the use of German
troops.
French Defense Minister Jules
Moch was unWavering in his at
titude on the committee meeting
here although French officials in
Paris professed to see a good
prospect of compromise.
The German rearmament issue
was discussed at great length yes
terday. There was no further dis
cussion of the supreme COM
mander or his headquarters.
Indeed, Gen. Eisenhower, who is
known to be the general choice
for commander. and who has been
here over the last week end dis
cussing relevant matters with
President Truman and others, left
the Pentagon late yesterday with
out waiting for the committee to
adjourn and returned to New York,
He beamingly waved aside in
quiries about his military future,
but offered to discuss Columbia
University's educational program
with all comers.
From an official standpoint, a
secrecy that surpasses even the
military security on a wartime
combat operation has been thrown
about the meetings of the COM
mittee
British Defense Minister Eman-
uel Shinwell, speaking at the Ma
(See DEFENSE. Page A-3.)