Evening star., 1952-02-16
s.
MI. Acheson's S Mission

During his current mission abroad the
prime objective of Secretary of State Dean
Acheson win be to promote compromise agree
nlentS designed to remove the difficulties that
now threaten to set back the Western security
build-up within the framework Of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization. Although the
difficulties cover wide range, the biggest and
most important Of them all stem from the recent
deterioration in Franco-German relations and
from the Bonn governments conditional accept
ance of the idea of participating militarily in
the defense of free Europe.
The first Of Mr.. Acheson's tasks-which
will be seriously complicated if Frances Parlia-
ment unseats Premier Faure in today's vote of
confidence-will be to seek meeting of minds
with the British and French Foreign Ministers
at conferences in London. These conferences will
deal with the problems raised by Bonn's dispute
with Paris over the future of the Saarland. They
will DEAL too, with the Big Threes effort to nego-
tiate peace contract" with West Germany in
face Of the new conditions described as "de-
mands" in some quarters) that the latter has
advanced In kind of bargaining maneuver to
get the best possible concessions In exchange
for contributing armed manpower to the pro-
jected European army.
As voted by the Parliament at Bonn, the
conditions call for such things as IL guarantees
to enable the Saarlanders to determine their
own political future, (2} West German member
ship in the NATO alliance, or at least equal
treatment as an associate in that alliance, and
60 peace contract" that will end the occu-
patton and remove all present controls on pro.
duction and research, not excepting atomic re-
search. The problem of the Big Three at London
will be to agree on common approach to these
matters in order to act as one in further nego-
tiations with Chancellor Adenauer's govern
ment. Such an approach cannot be easily
worked out in view of the fact that the United
States, Britain and France-not to mention
allies like Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Hol-
land-have differing views as to just how much
should be granted, and how much denied, to
the Germans. Nevertheless, whatever the diff
eulties involved, it is of the utmost Importance
that Bonn's horse-trading proposals be met
with nglo-Freneh-American unity.
This is so because such unity is essential
not only to negotiating sound and reasonable
West German "peace contract" but also to build
ing up the power of the NATO alliance The
North Atlantic Council-the chief agency of the
alliances to convene in Lisbon next week to
consider organizational, economic, political and
military problems Of major character. No
spectacular decisions or solutions are expected
to result from the meeting, but significant prog
ress can and will be made II MesSrs. Acheson,
Eden and Schuman-the Big Three Foreign
Ministers-are able to show there that they
see eye to eye on all the essentials. On the
other hand of course, if they are at loggerheads
as regards key question like Germany's role
in European defense, then Lisbon's proceedings
may end on highly discouraging note.
Some of the gloomier prophets see in the
present situation the makings of an extremely
serious reverse for NATO. This view is based
on the feeling that Bonn's conditions have re-
vived French fears to a degree that may well
preclude the kind Of Franco-German co-opera-
tion that is vitally needed for the security of
the Atlantic community as whole. However,
since the conditions have not been advanced
Internationally or on take-it-or-leave-it basis,
such pessmism seems altogether premature.
After ALL France, Britain and the United States
have long had notable capacity for agreement,
and the chances are that during Mr. Acheson's
mission they will demonstrate it once again
by acting in unison for the further strengthen
ing Of the free world.
The Male Strikes Bock-Weokly