Evening star., 1954-09-19
But Puris Views
Call for Further
Tolks as Hopeful
By Crosby S. Noyes
Foreign CORRESPONDENT Of The Stor

PARIS, Sept. 18.-From the
standpoint of dramatics, the
final result of a week of frantic
diplomatic activity may be a
bit disappointing. After all the
fanfare, the decision to hold a
nine-power meeting in London
at the end Of the month to look
for a new solution to the Ger
man problem must seem like a
modest achievement.
Viewed from here, however,
the implications of the decision
are anything but un-interesting.
Announcement of the meeting
has produced the first CLINT of
sunlight in a general pail Of
gloom that settled over Europe
with the death of EDO last
month.
To begin with, it is taken as
evidence that one more earnest
effort will be made to chart a
common course for western de-
fense. At least for the time be-
ing. a respite from agonizing
re-appraisals and desperate So.
lutions has been won. Western
leaders, it seems, have decided
to swallow their resentment
to halt if they can the process
of disintegration that today
threatens to destroy once and
for all the whole fabric of the
western alliance.
This reborn willingness to CO.
operate is encouraging in itself.
But the decision to hold the Lon
don meeting probably means
more than that. Logically, it
must mean that real hope now
exists for finding a solution to
German problem within the
framework of the plan proposed
by British Foreign Minister Eden.
Would Not Risk Debate.
If anything Is certain, neither
Chancellor Adenauer of Wess
Germany. nor Premier Mendes-
France Of France-llor, for that
matter, any Of the Western
leaders - would risk another
debacle like the Brussels confer
ence. All along everyone has in
sisted that unless very substan-
tial grounds for agreement could
be discovered in advance no
such meeting would take place.
Perhaps too optimistically, the
deduction is being made that
such grounds were discovered by
Mr.. Eden in the course of his
tour of Western European capi-
tails last week. It is believed here
that Secretary Dulles agreement
to attend the meeting means he
has been persuaded to support
the British solution rather than
follow the more drastic course
which he has favored in past.
On the surface, the Eden plan
may not be much to cheer about.
The idea Of busting off the al
most forgotten Brussels treaty as
device for forming a new West
European military coalition
within NATO may seem like a
clumsy and impractical way Of
controlling German re-armament.
The surprising thing, perhaps, is
that the British Foreign Minis
ters' propositions should have
been received with something like
enthusiasm along his tour and
that even Mr.. Adenauer, despite
his recent tough talk, found
himself. to quote an official COM
munique, "in complete agree
ment" with Mr.. Eden.
From the outset, however, the
critical country was France, and
the result of Mr.. Eden's CONVEX
sations with the French Premier
here last Thursday was admit
tedly something less than clear
cut agreement. At the end of
the talks observers could not help
noting a certain atmosphere of
gloom in French circles which
contrasted strikingly to the opti-
mistic tones of the British. The
general verdict: Although Mr..
Mendes-France could agree read
lily enough to the principle of
German sovereignty and en-
trance into NATO, the facts of
French political life would inn
pose such conditions and con-
trolls on German re-armament
that no one except a Frenchman
could accept them.
Concessions Near.
Since then, however, there has
been some reconsideration Of this
verdict. AS some of the details
Of the Eden plan have become
known, they seem to go long
way toward meeting the major
French demands. These are:
l. Limitation on the size of the
German armed force. It is sug-
geSted that this could be done
within the framework of the
Brussels pact by forming a
standing group which would fix
maximum quotas for the armed
forces of all member nations.
2. Restriction on the German
(See MOVES page A-7D