Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-02-17
French Assembly Accepts Ideo
Of United West European Army
IfGermon Recruiting Is Held Up
Would Be Delayed
Until Whole Plan
Goes Into Effect
BY the Associated Press


French National Assembly early
today approved the idea of 6
united West European army, pro.
vided German recruiting is de.
layed until the whole plan has
been approved and goes into
effect.
There was no official prediction
Of the effective date of the pro-
posed combined army plan. Nc
full agreement on such plan has
been reached by the participating
countries. When they agree, a
formal treaty must be drafted
which each country then must
ratify.
The National Assembly vote was
q victory for Premier Edgar Faure.
He redrafted his proposal on the
unified army late yesterday with
o view to winning support from
some of his critics, notably the
powerful Socialist Party.
It also relieved some of the
pressure on the United States
whole plan to deter any Russian
aggression with a strong and
united Europe, on the eve of i'm
portant international meetings in
both London and Lisbon.
Vote Is 372 to 276.
The Assembly's preliminary ap-
proval came in the form of a vote
that gave priority to a Govern
ment resolution endorsing the
idea of the United European army
and setting French conditions for
further negotiations.
Then, in a surprise move to
clinch this victory. Mr.. Faure de-
manded a formal vote of conf
dence Tuesday on his entire plan
for a united European army. Thus
he staked the life. of his four
week-old cabinet in a new test of
strength with the opposition.
Concession to Socialists.
The main Socialist demand has
been for delay in recruiting of
German troops until June /, when
the United Nations Disarmament
Commission makes It's first report.
The new resolution, read to dep
uties by Assembly Speaker Ed
Guard Herriot. contained no such
condition, but it is generally be-
lieved that the still undrafted
European army treaty cannot be
ratified at least until that date.
The new resolution Endorsed the
European army idea. It pledged
"the will of France to contribute
all its energy to the building
Of political and economic unity
of Europe"
After the resolution was read,
Mr.. Faure spoke to explain his
change in tactics. He said he
was not asking formal vote Of
confidence because Foreign Minis
ter Robert Schuman had to leave
for London tomorrow and that
a confidence vote on the new
resolution could not take place
before Monday. under the French
constitution.
"But the government risks its
existence on this vote" he said.
Equal Treatment Promised.
The new resolution promises
West Germany equal treatment in
O European army but specifies that
this pledge has nothing to do
with German entry into the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization. It
also specifies that NATO, being
of an exclusively defensive char
acter, should only include states
which have no territorial de-
mands."
The resolution asks the United
States and Britain to guarantee
unity of a European army by
keeping their troops ia Europe
"as long as it seems necessary"
When word of this request reached
London today, high American and
British sources there indicated
both countries feel they are al
ready committed to aid France in
the event of attack and that there
would probably be no difficulty in
making another such guarantee if
1t would help promote European
defense.
The French appeared to be CIV
ing only half-hearted and con-
ditional support for the army
project, which French leaders
themselves advanced more than a
year ago as a means Of putting
West German troops into West
ern defense without reviving the
German high command system.
Reverberations Certain.
It was the first time since World
War II that a French cabinet
staked It's life on an issue of for
eign policy.
Reverberations Of the French
squabble were bound to be felt in
London, where foreign ministers
of the Big Three Western Powers
are due to meet tomorrow with
West German Chancellor Konrad
Adenauer to consider West Ger
many's defense roles.
Also they will be heard in Lis
bon, where the foreign. finance
and defense ministers Of the
NATO powers begin talks Wednes-
day on how to pay for an inte-
grated defense.