Evening star., 1953-12-23
Mr.. Dulles on EDC

Secretary of State Dulles, in his fine address
to the National Press Club, has set forth par
ticularly persuasive argument for near future
action to convert the projected European
Defense Community into an operating reality.
At the same time, reafirming what he said at
the recent Paris meeting of the Ministerial
Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion, he has stated it as "a elf-evident truth"
that unless the pact to create the EDO is rati-
fed "soon' by France and the five other sigma
tory powers, there will have to be IAN agonizing
reappraisal" of American foreign policy in rela-
ton to the present NATO setup.
This repetition of his Paris statement may
again displease the French, but that does not
alter the Soundness of Mr. Dulles argument
For the fact is, as he has said, that NATO,
although it is in good shape and although its
growing strength-together with discomfort
behind the Iron Curtain-has lessened the
danger of Soviet aggression, "rests upon a
foundation which is precariouS and which
must cause us grave concern" And the foun-
dation will continue to be precarious as long as
the signatories especially France which origi-
mated the project-fail to ratify the EDO treaty
to establish an internationalized six-nation
army, including West German divisions
To emphasize the essentially of the Euro
pean Defense Community Mr. Dulles has cited a
number of important factors that seem to have
been overlooked or underestimate by some of
our friends abroad. One of these factors is this:
That Congress, in the Mutual Security Act of
1858, has conditioned much of our foreign mil
itary aid upon the actual existence of the EDO.
Another Is this: That substantial part of the
United States Army has been placed in advanced
positions in West Germany on the assumption
that the EDO forces with German divisions,
will be going concern in the not-too distant
future. Accordingly, in Mr.. Dulles words, if
that force does not materialize within reason
able period of time, NATO's basic strategy will
have to be re-examined" because our American
troops cannot continue as the principal defend
ers of Germany while the Germans themselves
look on as mere observers"-a statement sug-
geSting that our troops might be pulled back
from the front line.
In addition to all this, Mr.. Dulles has
stressed two other factors. The first is that
EDO, besides being essential to the creation of
much-needed West German divisions, is indis-
pensable if France and other nations ns-including
Russia-are to have assurances that Germans
will not be rearmed under conditions that
would make it possible for them to revive
aggressive militarism And the second involves
the problem of permanently sealing the breach
between France and Germany"-a problem that
cannot be solved without EDC whose machin-
cry, by bringing Franco-German forces together
within an internationalized army, would be a
powerful guarantee against any recurrence of
the kind of strife which in the past has gravely
endangered Western civilization.
Of course, as Mr. Dulles has declared, "if
EDO fails, we shall do something" and he is
confident that the United States will be capable
of preserving its vital interests in the event of
such failure. But he has frankly observed
that none of the suggested alternatives to the
six-nation project is good. The best that can be
said for any of them-including the one that
would create separate German force within
the framework of NATO-is that they would be
better than no action at all. Beyond that,
however, they would fall far short of what the
edo has been designed to accomplish in terms
of defending free Europe, effecting lasting
Franco German reconciliation and providing
safeguards against the rebirth of a militaristic
Germany.
In the light of such facts as these, it is hard
to believe that France and the other signatories
will not have the wisdom to ratify the EDO
treaty. Mr.. Dulles, for his own part, has high
hopes that they will end their hesitation and
act aff1rmatively, thus serving their own best
interests and making it unnecessary for the
United States to undertake an "agonizing" pol
icy reappraisal. If this proves to be too optimis
tic view then free Europe will have struck
itself heavy blow to the delight of the Kremlin.