Evening star., 1954-12-31
France Comes Through

France Comes Through
It is quite true that French ratification
of the Paris accords marks beginning, not
an end. A great deal remains to be done be-
fore the security envisioned in these agree
nents can be translated into reality.
It is also true that the 287-to-260 vote
on the key pact for the rearmament of West
Germany was rather close thing. But those
who would stress the narrowness of this
margin might remember that our own House
of Representatives came within one vote of
killing the draft act just short time before
Pearl Harbor.
Considerations such as these, however.
are not of first Importance. The thing that
counts is that the French have made their
hard decision. The accords are ratified, and
the work of building on them can proceed.
AS measure of the Importance of this, one
need but reflect on the situation which
would prevail if the Assembly had rejected
the agreements. The dream of Western unity
would be dead. It would be necessary to
attempt without France, to rearm Germany.
Even if this could have been done, it would
have been accomplished at the expense of
destroying that united front on which any
hope of successful defense must rest. To
say the least, December 80, 1854, would have
been black day for the West and day of
triumphant achievement for the Soviet
Union.
The further point has been made that
French ratification of the accords came
about only under great pressure from the
United States and Britain, and that France
therefore may prove to be an unreliable ally
This is line of reasoning which should
be taken with big dose of reservation. In
the first place, French reluctance to accept
the accords probably was dictated as much,
if not more, by fear of a rearmed Germany
as by fear of showdown with the Russians.
And even If the latter were the only con-
sideration, why should not the French hesi-
tate and shrink from the prospect of a war
which almost certainly would devastate
France?
Finally, it is true that pressure from
Washington and London played its part in
the decision to ratify. It may be suggested,
however, that vastly greater pressure was
being exerted on the French.
This is the pressure that is inherent in
the situation of France and all the rest of
us. It is the pressure which grows out of the
logical necessity to do what must be done
in order to survive. In the last logical anal
ySiS, France could not stand aside. She had
to join in common defense if for no other
reason than to discourage Communist ad-
vance into vacuum.
This same pressure bears down upon
the West Germans. 1t will help persuade
them to ratify the accords and to refrain
from hostile acts when the new German
divisions come into being. For they, too,
want to survive. .-.s-xa ...-
And what about the Russians? Why
assume that they are impervious to the pres
sure that is rooted in the necessities of sur
vival? AS one more old year passes into
history and a new year approaches, perhaps
we should reflect hopefully on this ines
capable element of pressure. For govern
ments, like individuals, are responsive to
considerations of self-interest If the West
will now proceed to build structure of mill
tary strength on the foundation which the
French, by this vote, have helped to lay, it
will not serve the interests of Russia to pre-
cipitate war. And if war will not serve
Russian interests, if the Russians know that
enormous destruction certainly would be
visited upon them, there is good chance
that they will refrain from war For the
Russians, like the rest of us, want to survive,
and they enjoy no special immunity from
this pressure which grows out of the strong
est of human instincts.