Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-29
ENCOURAGEMENT Plus Warning

President Eisenhower and Prime Minister
Churchill have taken long step toward speed
ing up the tagging program for West European
unity.
In their Joint statement on the Anglo
American talks, they reafirmed that West
Germany should take its place as an equal and
sovereign partner in the Western community
and implied very clearly that this should happen
soon. At the same time, while paying tribute
to French inspiration in the concept of this
program, they served notice, in effect, that the
time has come for French approval of the
European Defense Community pact-as it is
now written and with the assurances already
given on American and British support and
cooperation.
In directing this particular message to
France the American and British leaders first
welcomed the recent statement of Prime Min
lister MendeS-France "that an end must be put
to the present uncertainties" They continued,
however, by throwing up barriers to possible
further delays-a French request for reviSionS
in the treaty or French request for additional
British or American guarantees. Such requests
have cropped up in the past. In this case, there
is implicit Anglo American warning against
either. Noting that four nations-West Ger
many, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg
more than two years of consideration the state
ment adds: Naturally these nations are unwill-
ing to disregard their previous legislative APP
prevails or to reopen these complex questions"
The statement continues with a reference to
the important assurances" already given by the
United States and Britain and then expresses
the conviction that further delay in the entry
into force of the EDO and Bonn treaties would
damage the solidarity of the Atlantic nations"
There may be differing interpretations of that
expression of conviction" but if indeed the
solidarity is damaged by further delay" it must
be remembered that only France and Italy have
yet to ratify the supranational single-army de-
Tense plan, itself product of French magma
ton.
The encouragement offered to Chancellor
Adenauer in this statement supplements that
given few days earlier by Secretary of State
Dulles in a meeting with Ambassador Krekeler
of West Germany. The Secretary was reported
as assuring the Ambassador that if ratification
of EDO is delayed much longer it should not
cause continued postponement OF full freedom
and sovereignty for the West German people.
Chancellor Adenauer himself had taken this
position during the recent North Rhine-WeSt-
phalia election campaign and it is possible that
Mr.. Dulles support of it played part in the
voting results on Sunday. The pro-WeStern
Chancellor AdenauerS Christian Democratic
Party won 413 per cent of the votes in regional
parliamentary election and were assured Of
coalition control of the Ruhr Valley legislative
body. Although the Socialist opposition gained
eight seats in the local parliament, the Com
munists lost all IL of their places and the
Christian Democrats were confident of enough
cooperation from the Centrist and Free Demo-
cratic Parties to hold control in this important
industrial state.
All of these developments should con-
tribute greatly to relieving the internal political
pressure that has been building up against the
Adenauer government. And this, in turn, may
contribute to the whole program for strengthen
ing the Atlantic-WeSt European community.