Evening star., 1954-10-22
Conferences Follow Pattern,
Always With Snog Near End
Concessions by Both French ond Germans
On Soar Necessary for Agreement

whole beautiful package may
blow up in their faces at the
last minute.
The reason: With less than "a
hours before the signing of all
the agreements. treaties and pro-
tocols, the talks between France
and Germany on the Saar set
tlement have taken an unmis-
taxable turn for the worse and
unless this agreement is reached,
there will be no signing cere-
mony tomorrow at Quai d. Orsay.
Talks Going Badly.
Both sides make no secret OF
the fact that the talks are going
badly and that nothing ap-
preaching an agreement is in
sight. 1--WE have a beautiful pal
lette," admitted a French spokes-
man but no canvas"
According to neutral observers
here it is the Germans who are
taking the tough line. Since he
has spoken to his political lead
ers from Bonn, German Chan
cellor Adenauer has stiffened his
position on all points under dis
cussion. At the last minute, in
fact, the Germans are reported
to have raised their conditions
for q settlement well beyond
their demands at the outset of
the discussion.
Specifically, the French offers
Of economic concessions to Ger
many within the industrial basin
have been rejected as inadequate.
Mr.. Adenauer is now said to be
insisting on virtual equality in
control Of the Saar economy, al
though a continuation of the
Saar's economic union with
France was thought to have been
accepted in principle from the
beginning.
Election Timing Is Move.
Secondly the Germans are
arguing that elections in which
pro- German parties win particle
pate must be held in the Saar
before q Franco-German agree
T1ent Is submitted to the Saar-
land parliament for ratification.
The French, for obvious reasons.
want ratification first and elec-
tions afterward.
Finally, and most important,
is the question Of how permanent
the present settlement Is to be.
The French, who would have pre-
ferred a lasting agreement, were
expected to yield to German de-
for a settlement condi-
toned by terms of the final
German peace treaty. The Ger
mans, however, now seem to have
increased the ante, insisting that
the terms of settlement must be
subject to amendment at any
time.
Neutral diplomats here are
surprised and very much con-
cerned about this turn Of events.
1t is becoming clear that if an
agreement Is to be reached, Mr..
Adenauer must back down from
most Of these new demands. 1T
also seems likely that French
Premier Mendes-France will have
to concede more than he ex-
pected.
Deputies Handling Talks.
One major trouble may be that
the talks for the last few days
have been handled by deputies
than by the prime min
listers themselves. Mr.. Mendes-
France and Mr.. Adenauer have
not discussed the problem seri-
ouSly since their first conversa-
ton together last Tuesday. Mr..
Adenauer, in fact. is reported to
have told members OF his delega-
ton that he had no intention of
talking any more about the Saar.
Other Western diplomats, how
ever, are moving in to try to
things over. Today Brit
ist Foreign. Secretary Eden is
lunching with Mr.. Mendes-
France and both the French and
German premiers are to be> his
guests for dinner tonight. AL
though it is unclear what spe-
cific suggestions MIR. Eden might
make to break. the deadlock,
other Western leaders here ap-
plaud the British move. More
than once Mr.. Eden has proved
himself as expert mediator in
tight situations. And at the very
least he can be expected to point
out to his German and French
colleagues the awful conse-
quences that would follow a
Of the Saar talks.