Evening star., 1950-12-24

to meet, in the next two years, the
target of so divisions by 1858.
1t is the training of these troops
and their attached tactical air
forces, which will absorb most Of
Gen. Eisenhower sand Gen.
Gruenther's-attention in the next
few months.
While the supreme commander
will have charge of their training
for co-ordinated operations with
the Atlantic army. they will re-
ceive their basic training under
the national CONSUMPTION laws OF
their various governments. Thus
Gen. Eisenhower will try to OBJ
tain-without commanding-the
training of these conscripts in
ways which will fit them into the
international army.
An American GI, a British
Tommy and a French Poilu are
trained in vastly different ways,
for the military tradition in each
of those countries springs largely
from the role each has played in
world history. But each has a
different part to play now and it
is Gen. Eisenhower's task to At
them for it. They will no longer
be members of an American,
British or French army, but mem
bers of the Atlantic army.
Once the national contingents
have been trained in their own
armies they will be transferred as
divisions to Gen. Eisenhower's
control and he will have command
of their training from that point.
Language Obstacles
It is when the national divi-
sions become integrated in the
international army that lingual
difficulties arise. Multilingual op-
erations cannot well be carried
below division level, for effective
action will depend on speedy exc
cution of commands intelligibly
given and readily understood.
On the division level and above,
however, provisions will have to be
made for smooth and ready func-
tioning in all the languages of the
Atlantic nations. Here is where
the linguist really will come into
his own, with a vast need for mill
tary men who are fluent in French.
Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish
and Norwegian as well as English.
The problem will be even broader
If Spain, Greece and Turkey ever
become actively associated with
the NATO and participate in its
operations.
The divisional training of the
troops brings into the picture one
delicate subject of negotiations
between Gen. Eisenhower and the
NATO governments, particularly
those on the. continent. That is
the stationing of troops. both for
constant training and availability
for emergency.
Germans Bargain
For the most part. it is the in
tention of NATO planners to sta
ton troops as much as possible
within the confines of their own
territories. where they will be most
readily available for use. This
means that French troops may be
stationed along Frances northern
and eastern frontiers and Dutch
and Belgian along their eastern
borders. which is the direction
from which a Soviet aggression
may be expected to come. How
ever. there is the problem of gar
risoning Germany and what troops
besides the American, British
and French-should be used in de-
fense of the Elbe River line.
The stationing of troops will be
an important factor. because Of
the necessity-both for the de-
fense of Germany as we'll as the
NATO nations-that the Germans
assume their role in the interna-
tional army which has been pro-
vided for them.
The Germans have made clear
that-besides insisting on equality
in the international army-their
willingness to assist the defense Of
Western Europe will be in direct
proportion to the strength the
Western Allies intend to use to de-
fend West Germany itself-that
is, the line of the Eibe. In oCner
words, a strong show of Allied
power in Germany would bring
strong German cooperation.
The only answer the Western
Allies can give the Germans-and
one which the Western high COM
missioners undoubtedly gave the
Adenauer government last week
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