Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-09-22
Achievement at Ottawa

In Secretary Achesons words, the unanimous
agreement to make Greece and Turkey full and
equal members was "the main thing" accom-
plished at the ow-concluded Ottawa Conference
of the Council of the 12-nation North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. But it was by no means
the only thing Actually, although limited largely
to discussion and preliminary action on nu-
merouS political economic and military problems
that still remain to be solved the meeting was
highly successful chiefly because of the quiet,
non-spectacuar way in which it not merely
strengthened the NATO organizational structure
but gave additional impetus to the growing power
and unity of the free Western world.
Thus, wholly apart from the decision on
Greece and Turkey-a decision that will become
effective as soon as our own Senate and the
various parliaments involved ratify the amend
ment charging the treaty's membership-the
Ottawa Conference paved the way for the adop-
ton of a series of far-reaching measures at
later meetings of the Council. These meetings,
beginning with the one scheduled to be held in
Rome (probably in November, after the British
elections) are now to be staged several times
year in order as Mr.. AcheSon has said, to keep
work from piling up and to increase the tempo
of the tremendous advance" that the NATO
alliance has already achieved in terms of develop
ing efficient administrative machinery and MAX
ing reality of the armed forces being organized
under General Eisenhower to defend the West
against the threat of Red aggression.
Among other things, on the basis of the
Ottawa meeting the appropriate NATO agencies
will now get to work to speed up final decisions
to be reached at the Rome conference or as soon
thereafter as possble-bearing on such prob
lens as the following: % The revision of the
Italian treaty to enable Italy to contribute more
to the common defense; (2) West German mill
tary participation in that defense in keeping
with the peace contract" to be negotiated be-
tween the Adenauer government on one hand
and France Britain and the United States on
the other; 90 the formation Of a special Mid
die Eastern command-under General Eisenhower
in line with the entry of Greece and Turkey
into full pact membership; a. financing the
maintenance of airflelds, communication facili-
ties ETC., needed for our allied armed forces; and
90 arrangements to insure that the burden of
military requirements and rearmament will not
strain civilian economies to the breaking point
These and kindred problems involve many
difficulties. However, as Mr.. Acheson has OBJ
served, the success of the Ottawa Conference
the cooperative spirit displayed there, the uni
versal desire to get things done-ustifeS con-
fdence that good solutions will be forthcoming,
If not at Rome, then at the Atlantic Councils
y
any rate, has indicated that few doubts trouble
him on that score. Looking back on all that has
been accomplished since the signing of the
treaty two years ago, he has emphasized that the
whole NATO Set-up is now strong and durable
and moving forward" on,a foundation so firm,
and in mood so reSolute, that the tremendous
work ahead" can be approached with equanimity
and high expectations of continuing progress at
an ever accelerating pace. This affirmative and
hopeful view seems to have been unanimous at
Ottawa.
It is view, moreover, that the NATO con-
ferees have been at pains to make clear to the
Kremlin in special statement marking the
close of their Ottawa meeting. The statement
is particularly emphatic in declaring that the
Soviet Union, when it attempts to divide the
great alliance, does not understand the nature
or the strength of the close ties" between the
peoples of the Atlantic community. Nor does it
understand the determination of that community
to hold fast together in building up its de-
fensive might. In face of such a group of ma
tons, whose unity and power is steadily grow
ing, the Stain dictatorship has every reason to
abandon its policy of aggression and speak more
than empty words-words that it's deeds belle
when it comes forward with peace" proposals.