Evening star., 1954-05-28
Optimism Grows in Paris
For Indo-Chino Agreement
Hopes Of Coming to Terms With Reds
Set Off Chain of Pleasant Possibilities

could follow a settlement in
Geneva:
/. Peace in Indo-China with
future Communist expansion
stopped by a Southeast Asian
security system.
2 A new lease on life for the
French government in a period
Of something approaching polit-
ical stability.
8. A new hope for German re-
armament under the European
Defense Community Treaty and
new strength for the whole West
tern European coalition.
Logical Connection Seen.
None of these results is impos-
sible. There is. in fact, a certain
logical connection between them
which gives a kind of plausibility
to such predictions.
Once the fighting stops in In
do-China there is good reason to
believe that a new security pact
suggested by United States Sec
retary of State Dulles will be set
up. Our allies have been badly
scared by recent developments in
the Indo- Chinese war. A lot of
people who never thought very
seriously about the threat in
Southern Asia are now thorough
ly alerted to the need for new
and powerful defenses. The feel
ing is very much like that in
1949. when a virtually defense
less Western Europe woke up to
the danger of Communist i'm
perialism and brought NATO
into being.
Nucleus to Build On.
Admitting that many Asian
countries may hold out against
joining a new security system,
there is already effective nucleus
to build on. AS in Europe, the
most important guarantee Of Sc
curity is commitment of Ameri-
can military strength in South
east Asia fact which the most
adventurous Communist leader
could not ignore. On the record
of the last five years, NATO has
provided a powerful block to
Communist ambitions in Western
Europe. Politically, the setup in
Asia may be more complicated.
But it is reasonable to think
that the formula of collective Sc
curity, backed by American
power, would work there, too.
In Europe as well as Asia the
success or failure of Western
policy is critically involved at
Geneva. Specifically it has hap
pened up to now on the per-
formance and on the survival of
the French government. The
c o m m uniSts have played
shrewdly on a weak point of the
whole allied coalition, knowing
that a political upheaval in
France could bring the entire
structure tumbling down at
Geneva. French Foreign Min
lister Bidault has been putting
on a juggling act Of marvellous
dexterity. Somehow in spite of
all the hazards-the critical
military situation, the uncer-
tainty Of American help, the
crankiness of Asian allies and
the open hostility of his political
backing at home-no fatal mis-
calculation has been made so
far. Twice in the past month,
the French government has
teetered on the brink Of destruc-
ton to be saved by whisker-thin
majorities in Parliament.
No Immediate Crisis Expected.
Now for the moment. at least,
this situation has improved. BY
a fortunate combination of holi-
days and recesses Of the National
Assembly, Mr.. Bidault has been
given a temporary respite from
his political opponents. No
further crisis is. expected for
the next fortnight. And by that
time it is fervently hoped the
deadlock at Geneva will have
been broken. From the begin
ming, two issues have been in
volved in the threat to the
French government. First was
the issue of Indo- China itself
and a fear that Mr.. Bidault
would not succeed in reaching
a settlement to end the fighting.
The other is the issue that DOM
mates everything in France. To-
(See MOVES, Page A-4.)