Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1953-12-25

would begin to look, from Cap
. itol Hill in Washington, very
much like a rathole. If France
and Germany want to commit
suicide, the secretary said, they
may have to do it by themselves.
By Encouragement?
He was accused Immediately
of attempting to coerce and die
tate. But the statement, made at.
the opening Of the NATO con-
ference and coming soon after
his Bermuda meeting. with Pre-
mier Laniel and Foreign Min
lister Bidault of France, looked
very much like something that
had been prearranged-in gen.
eral, if not in unanimous par
ticulars-to give the French pro
ponents of EDO further argu-
mentS to use against their strong
opposition in Parliament.
1t also came after the Big
Three had made it clear both in
statement and deed that they in
tended to conduct any and all
negotiations with Russia against
the background of a strong
NATO.
Atomic Partners
Defense Secretary Wilson but
tressed that position by reveal
ing in Paris that the United
States intends to share atomic
secrets and weapons with its
NATO partners. Wilson said
Congress will be asked-per-
haps early next year-to amend
the Atomic Energy Act to make
such a partnership possible. He
also pledged substantial in
creases in the quality and guam
tity of us. aircraft to be sent
to Europe in 1854.
NATO is not yet the military
power which its founders en-
visioned. Four years ago there
was talk about goals of go, 70
and sometimes even 80 divisions
by 1855. That was when Allied
experts estimated Russia would
reach her peak in power.
A Delicate Balance
Since then the Allies have
been trying to attain a balance
with Russian power without, at
the same time, undermining
their own economies and so
opening the door to the prime
Russian threat of infiltration
and conquest by civil war.
NATO today represents a
compromise alignment of the
economic and milissSS~y possibil-
tiles. It will soon have slightly
more than Sc divisions under
arms and more than so in re-
serve. It's leaders believe the
possibility of a Russian blitz is
over, that NATO can promise
more of a war than Russia would
like to tackle while her supply
lines run through such a hostile
eastern and central Europe, and
that Allied diplomats now have
behind them a very real if not
entirely adequate strength from
which to negotiate, if negotia-
tons seem worthwhile.
To make this position of
strength fully adequate. German
forces are needed. Europe, with
out Germany, cannot do much
more without getting the mill
tary cart ahead of the economic
horse.
The Underlying Fear
French officials for the most
part know this. They also know
that EDO is the safest device for
obtaining German strength with
out handing Germany the means
of reverting to her traditional
enmity with France.
They also know what is going
to happen if Germany continues
free to extend her postwar eco
nomic gains into export fields
without having to carry the load
Of armament maintained by the
others. But many other French
men nurse ingrained fears of g
rearmed Germany which might
either turn against them or be.
gin to wag the European dog.
The question this week was
whether fear of the harsh al.
ternatives outlined by Dulles
would begin to outweigh these
other, older fears.