Evening star., 1952-03-26
European Army Pact
Nay Be Signed When
Eisenhower Returns
sy III. Associated Pes.

~ me Assoetated Pfe9S
PARIS. Mar. 26.-Gen. Eisen-
hover stands q good chance of
seeing the six-nation European
army treaty signed and ready for
ratification before the May time
departure he is generally expected
to take from his job as Supreme
Allied Commander.
Experts predicted. today the
volurninous treaty creating the
international force will be COM
plete by mid-April. Shortly after.
the foreign and defense ministers
Of France. West Germany, Italy.
the Netherlands, Belgium and
Luxembourg are expected to
sign 1t.
That would just about complete
the top priorities of Gen. Eisen-
hower's second crusade in Eu-
rope" Most Of the generals
associates believe he will go home
In the last two weeks Of May to
the political role awaiting him as
q candidate for the Republican
presidential nomination.
Request Expected Next Week.
These associates speculate that
Gen. Eisenhower may send his
request next week to President
Truman for relief from his mis-
sion as top Atlantic pact military
commander. The President al
ready has said the general can
come home whenever he wants.
Gen. Eisenhower always has re-
sarded the idea Of a European
army, with national forces con-
trolled by q central international
command, as the best plan for
Getting Germans back into uni
form to help defend their own soil
against the threat Of Communist
aggression.
After the treaty is signed, It
must be approved by al six ma
tional Parliaments before German
troops can be recruited. In two
Of those legislatures at least
Frances and West Germany's-it
faces heavy shedding. Treaty back
ers are optimistic, however, that,
1t will be ratified before the end
Of the year.
Working with Europeans.
Gen. Eisenhower's interest In
the European army is so keen that
he has assigned two Of his officers
to help iron out the technical dif-
1culties still standing in the way
Of agreement.
Brig. Gen. John n. mike"
Michaelis, Korea war hero, and
Col. Robert Richardson have been
meeting with experts Of the Eu-
ropena nations for some months.
This group has solved, to its
satisfaction anyway, all major
problems Of merging the military
power Of the six nations into an
International land-sea-air force
Of some 2 million men and 5000
planes within the next three
years. What remains are such
administrative problems as uni
form disciplinary regulations, aI
common uniform and pay scales.
"These are just little nit-pick-
ing jobs" said one ofiicer involved
In the negotiations. "The real
work has been done"
The major decisions taken dur
Inc more than year Of negotia-
tons have drafted an organiza-
ton plan for the first peacetime
international army In European
history.
Administration Of the army
would center on nine-man COM
mission chosen by the six gov
ernments without regard to ma
tionA1ity. France, Germany and
Italy, however, will probably have
two men each on the group and
the other three countries one
each.
The commissioners will desig-
nate one Of their number as
European defense commissioner"
The others win take such posts
As deputy defense commissioner.
commissioner for training. supply
commissioner and the like.
Instead Of the 20, 0,000-man divi-
siOt1S the United States Army has.
the European force would have
f2y00O-man national group
naNl1ts" each commanded by an
otacer Of the same nationality as
the troops. Three Of these groups
would form q corps, with the
corps commander and his staff
chosen on an international basis.