Evening star., 1951-06-17

N4VAO1lo W1llCtl tIluSL NC IIlGG OeIOIc
a new German Wehrmacht can
be born:
/. The North Atlantic Treaty
Organization is growing in mill
tary strength and, most notably,
fresh American troops are arriv-
ing in Europe.
z. The Schuman plan for pool
ing continental Western European
coal and steel industries seems
to be moving toward adoption.
An increase in Western, and
particularly American, military
strength in Europe is necessary
for two reasons.
First, it convinces the Germans
that the Allies have both the ca
pability and the intention of
lighting effectively, if necessary.
and that it is therefore worth the
Germans while to fight, too. The
Germans have been by no means
convinced of this until recently.
Second, the increase in Ameri-
can forces in Europe is necessary
to convince the French and other
western Europeans that it is safe
Tor them to allow Germany to
rearm. Without impressive Amer
lean strength on the continent. a
rearmed and renascent Reich
could dominate the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. With strong
American forces on hand, this
danger is reduced to a minimum.
The buildup of American
strength further heartens the Eu-
pean members of the North At
lantic alliance by demonstrating
that the United States is really
determined to stand by them, and
not fall back on Britain-or, con-
conceivably. the Pyrenees-if war
with Russia comes.
Adoption of the Schuman plan
will also make it easier for the
Western European powers to con-
sent to German rearmament. For
III the coal and steel industries
Iof all adherents to the plan are
merged. then no member will in
dividually control the heavy in.
.dustries necessary for war.
With progress thus being made
in eliminating all these various
barriers to the restoration of Ger
man military power. the Western
Allies now have one further major
obstacle to overcome-"one more
river to cross" This is the Soviet
threat to take drastic action, if
necessary, TO prevent German re-
armament.
The United States thinks that
this threat is a bluff. Washington
further thinks, moreover, that the
West must go ahead with the
arming of the Bonn Republic even
if the Kremlin is not bluffing.
Accept Risk Now
For if Western Germany is de-
fenseless, then all of Western Eu-
rope is virtually defenseless, too,
and therefore at the mercy of the
Soviets. and the United States
thinks the West should accept the
risk of var rather than the cer-
tainty OF helplessness forever.
Secretary of State Acheson ad-
vocated German arming at a Big
Three Foreign Ministers meeting
in New York last September, but
got nowhere. Mr.. Acheson's pro-
posal seems, indeed, to have done
more harm than good.
The Kremlin threatened dire
consequences if the proposal were
adopted. The North Atlantic
Treaty Organization was still
much too weak to stand UP to
the Soviets. There was no sign
that the United States was pre-
pared to commit any more land
forces to Europe than it already
had on garrison.
Under these circumstances, the
American proposal to rearm Ger
many forthwith delighted the
Germans, appalled, the French and
disgusted the British.
The Germans were delighted
because they thought the Amer
ican proposal meant the United
States must be desperately anxious
to arm the Bonn Republic at
once. Indeed, some Americans
publicly said as much.
The Germans had no intention
of arming undar the conditions
which prevailed last fall. They
had every intention. however. Of
arming in their own good time
and under more auspicious Gil
cumstances. WaShington's eager
ness to revive German milit ~
power speedily seemed to provi'e
a golden opportunity to Bonn to
exact a high price for its CO.
operation.
The Germans therefore prompt
ly began drawing up long lists Of
conditions which must be satisf1 ID
before they would condescend to
crafty American wishes. They
also became conspicuously high
handed in other affairs, perhaps
especially in their dealings with
the French.
The French reaction was at
least equally violent-and ,oppo-
site. Paris feared that the United
States might be preparing to take
sides with Germany against
France and Withdrew into a hard
shell of apprehension and in
transigence.
1t took more than three months
to correct these misapprehensions
and mend the harm they had
done. Then, in Brussels in De-
cember. the United States made a
new approach. This Government
agreed that the politically requi-
site conditions must first 3e
met before German rearmament
could begin. and it agreed to CO.
operate with its Allies in trying
to work out ways of meeting these
ooo ditiNy,c hafo,o uoy,f11rivao ~, a