Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-28
In Peace to Preserve Peace

The evidence is mounting that good progress
is oeing made through the machinery of the
Atlantic Pact and, under General Eisenhowers
overall command, in the great and unprece-
denied enterprise of building up and unifying
the defensive forces of Western Europe. The
feel" of accomplishment is in the air over there
"a growing conviction that we and our Allies
are really beginning to get somewhere in trans
lating paper plans into the concrete reality OF
forging powerful common front against the
threat of Red aggression. '
Among the witnesses to that heartening fact
are the seven Republican and Democratic Sena-
tors-members of the Foreign Relations Commit
tee-who have just returned from a country-by-
country study of the project. All of them, though
emphasizing that vast amount of work remains
to be done and that an intensif1cation of effort
is necessary on the part of some of our Allies,
apparently have been impressed and encouraged
by what has been achieved thus far in laying the
organizational groundwork for the command
and Indignation of forces, in gradually building
UP those forces and in promoting resolute new
spirit throughout the Western European com
munity s.ses .. ., . .
Thus--Wholly, apart from the significant
prospect that by the end of this year. for the
first time since l945, our allied armed strength
in West Germany will be superior to the Soviet
Unions in East Germany-the 12-nation At
lantic Pact is at stage of development where
General Eisenhower can look forward to an i'm
preSSive and steady growth of his integrated
forces from here on out. France for example, is
planning to place under his command a total
of 10 divisions between now and January, and
proportionate contributions will be forthcoming
from other countries. All told, as estimated by
Defense Secretary Marshall our Allies in Europe
pYDnct Tn have . < million in service nv 1859
over and above our own big troop commitments.
Accordingly, assuming that there is no hitch
in the delivery of American aid in the form of
weapons the months Immediately ahead should
be marked by notable gains in the free worlds
effort to improve its position in the European
balance of power vis-a-vis Russia
Not the least hopeful aspect of this situation
is that five of the free European nations, acting
within the framework of the Atlantic Pact and
with General EiSenhowers encouragement, have
arrived at preliminary understanding a
50-year treaty under which they would merge
their armed services into a single, International
lied force. The five countries are Italy, France,
West Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. To-
gether with the NetherandS-which at present
stands aloof from the project-they are all
parties to the Schuman Plan for the merger Of
their coal and steel resources Their move for
corresponding union in the military field in
wolves many difficulties, but 1t paves the way
for German participation in the Western de-
fensive system, and it can hardly fail to promote
the kind of unity that non-Soviet Europe must
develop to prosper and be secure.
In officially opening the Supreme Head
quarters of the Allied Powers in Europe-the
Atlantic Pacts "Pentagon" at Rocquencourt,
France-General Eisenhower has been at pains
to emphasize that it has been "set up in peace
to preserve peace and not to wage war. and to
lift from the hearts of men the fear of cell
blocks and slave camps" That objective is any,
thing but an impossible one On the contrary,
there is every reason to hope that it will be
attained if we and our Allies hold fast together
and Keep on strengthening ourselves, without
letup, to degree formidable enough to make
the Kremlin pull in its horns. >.