Evening star., 1951-03-18

llCdry feallCleS.
' during the great debate" wher
at they wanted badly-if politica
down any quick rearmament
move. for the time being at least
None of these Western European
governments actually has tapped
it's manpower for military service
According to factual reports from
Paris, the Is divisions which for.
mer Premier Plevin promised tt
have ready by 1853 will not be
ready by then.
Loophole in Treaty
Nothing concrete is expected ir
French armed preparations, except
possibly some slow-motion rearm-
ament, before the French elections
some time this summer. Short OF
actual aggression by the U. S. S. R.
no French politician will dare put
hundreds of thousands of men into
uniform until they have seen the
results of the election. And when
France moves slowly the smaller
countries follow her lead.
Under these conditions, and be-
cause there is some danger that
Moscow may decide to strike soon
er than the Western European
political optimists expect, Congress
wishes to marshal for the defense
of Europe-and thereby the de-
tense of the United States-some
nations which have an organized
manpower of more than l million
men, but which do not have the
equipment necessary to make
them a truly efficient force.
The legislators admit that the
veto power of the members OF
NATO cannot be changed without
scrapping the whole treaty. But
there is nothing in that treaty to
prevent the United States from
extending help to other non
member nations. There is moth
ing in the Atlantic pact to prevent
this country from making mutual
defense agreements with other ma
tions.
In the past, when we stuck to
the idea that this country should
not enter into any entangling alli-
ances in peacetime, such mutual
defense pacts were inadmissible
But we broke away from that
American tradition when the Sen
ate approved the Atlantic pact, ir
which we became full fledgec
allies of the II Western European
countries.
There is no reason, our legis-
lators say. why we should not
help and be helped in turn by ma
tions which do not belong to
NATO. If such help is necessary to
further the security of the free
nations. We cannot force the
British and French to accept the
Spaniards as allies. But neither
can our Western European
friends take offense If we wish to
strengthen the walls against a
Russian invasion.
The case Of Turkey is remark
able. The Turks are receiving
some assistance from us under
the Truman doctrine.
Turks Seek Alliance a.. 90
According to every official and
unofficial American who has Wis
tied Turkey, she has not squan-
dered a nickel Of the money given
her. The Turks have today un-
questionably the best army In
Europe. They have made repeated
requests that they be included in
the North Atlantic pact. This re-
quest, mildly supported by our
government, was turned down by
Cae otner members.
Recently the Turkish govern
ment has suggested to Washing
ton that mutual defense
alliance be concluded. This pro-
+posal is receiving the usual
treatment: Sympathetic consid-
Grafton.
The situation Of Turkey. how
ever, is totally different from that
OF SPAIN Turkey has had for
more than decade mutual-as-
sistance treaties with the French
and British. They want a similar
treaty with us. because they be-
lieve that in this manner the
confidence of their people will be
further bolstered.
Since the treaties with Britain
and France are in force today
there is no reason why this coun-
try should not conclude a similar
pact. Yet the State Department
is reluctant to do more than give
Ankara's plea sympathetic con-
sideration. Our policy makers
know that they need not expect
any opposition from the Senate
which would welcome such an
agreement with pleasure.
This attitude of the State De-
partment is likely to bring head
on clash with Congress In the
near future. Our diplomats are
welded to the idea that we must
do nothing to irk our Allies. Be-
ing perennial optimists they still
believe that something might be
done to soften the men in the
Kremlin, if we avoid doing any
thing rash" They know that
our defense plans in Western
Europe, as they stand today, are
less irksome to Moscow than il
this country entered into definite
mutual-defense agreements with
countries like Spain and Turkey
The Senators take a Missouri
approach" to diplomacy. They
accept the fact that we are al
war with the Communists in one
part of the world and almost al
war in another section. They be-
lieve that only a strong defense
not limited to the atomic bomb
but including all the nations