Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-08
Conant Is Sworn In,
Says He Will Push
European Program
By Robert K. Welsh

By Robert K. Welsh
DR.. James b. Conant, sworn
in as United States High Com
missioner to West Germany.
promised yesterday to work for
European Defense Community
aims and promote cooperation
between this country and the
West German Republic.
But he declared that in his
relations with West German
leaders he would only offer as
sistance where desired. He said
he would not suggest or pre-
dict" a course of action for
them, especially on the question
of accepting the EDO treaties.
The former president Of Har-
ward University announced he
will fly from New York for Ger
many tomorrow afternoon, ar
irving in Frankfort Tuesday. He
stepped up the time of his de-
parture at the request Of Presi-
dent Eisenhower and because
1.-The news from Europe in the
last few weeks makes evident the
urgency of my mission"
Rearmament Provided.
EDO plans include provision
for rearmament of West Ger
many. The German and French
parliaments have not yet acted
on a proposed treaty for creation
of the EDO with French and
German troops in a unified six
nation force.
DR.. Conant, who was confirmed
by the Senate late Friday and
sworn in at noon yesterday in
the State Department, COM
mented only in general on EDO
plans.
He told a news conference that
one of his first moves in Ger
many will be to confer with lead
ers of the major political parties.
He said he would "offer such as
sistance to West Germany as
may be desired by the Chan
cellor and his associates and as
is warranted by the general pur-
poses of my mission"
The new high commissioner,
however, made clear that he will
strive for continual progress in
bringing to fruition the plans
already laid and I trust progress
will be made in the coming
months"
Implication Worldwide.
He explained that the tasks
awaiting him have worldwide
implications. The security OF all
free nations, he maintained. is
linked to the continued develop
ment of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. NATO, ip
turn, requires the formation OF a
defense force as provided in the
EDO treaties, he explained.
AS soon as possible after he Is
officially settled at Bonn, he said,
he will visit Berlin. He termed
Berlin lone of the most Signitl-
, cant cities in the world today
DR.. Conant praised his prede-
cessor, former High Commits
Sioner John McCloy, and others
for having laid sure founda-
lions for the happy relations
which exist between the peoples
of the free, democratic Federal
Republic of Germany and the
United States"
To Promote Interchanges.
At the news conference he did
not mention recent criticism
that his earlier statements con-
corning private schools and post
war German economy might
make his job more difficult in
West Germany. But he en-
phasized his intention to pro-
mote cultural interchangeS.
"It is my hope" he explained,
shat my efforts may be of some
avail in strengthening still fur
ther the cultural and political
ties between the two nations"
DR.. Conant commented that
the only misgiving he has about
going to Germany is that his use
of the. German language has be-
come a bit rusty. He is con-
fident that he will be able to
read various formal statements
and speeches in German but he
will have to do some brushing up
on conversational exchanges, he
admitted. Mrs. Conant, who plans
to fly to Germany next Thurs
day, has an excellent command
of the language, he added.
First Visit in 1925.
Their first visit to Germany,
he recalled, was in 1925. AS a
young professor interested in or
ganic chemistry, he lived there
for eight months. He wanted
particularly to find out how Ger
man universities were organized
so that they could produce such
an array of talent" in scientific
pursuits. DR.. Conant said he
visited Germany again in 1880
and briefly in 1945.
Although no stranger to Ger
many, personally or profession
ally, DR.. Conant, who will be so
next month, hopes that the Ger
mans do not expect too much
of him as a mountain climber. He
did a great deal of climbing in
his earlier years but had to stay
off the Alpine variety after
wrenching his back several years
ago.
II haven't been on the end Of
a rope in a long time" he said.
ae 1oa loft tho state ncna rfInAnt