Evening star., 1954-08-29
Whether II Lives or Dies

~
AS it prepares to vote for or against
ratification Of the European Defense Com
munity with all signs indicating THAT the
vote, whenever taken, will be against
the French National Assembly must reckon
with this supremely important fact: That
the United States If the edo Is killed
OF. will spare no effort to grant full
sovereignty to the West Germans and pro-
mote their rearmament, on formidable
scale, either within or outside the framework
Of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
French Premier Mendes- France, whose
government conceivably may fall In the cur
rent crisis, has agreed--in principle at least
that some such course must be followed as
an alternative to the edo. But large anti
edo segments Of the Parliament In Paris,
having in mind their country's power to
veto measures of that kind in the NATO
alliance, seem to be laboring under the illu-
sion that the whereWithal thus exists to
"neutralize" West Germany and keep it.
permanently disarmed-a policy advocated
with particular vehemence by the Commu-
mist deputies In faithful adherence to the
Soviet line.
Accordingly, In view Of this apparent,
Misrepresentation within the ranks OF its
membership, the French National Assembly
should find 1t very much worthwhile, dur
ing the course Of its debate, to give the most
earnest consideration to the. simple but
highly significant reality that West Ger
many, whether the edo lives or dies, Is go
ing to be rearmed sooner or later in one way
or another. Certainly, no matter what the
outcome of the vote In Paris, the United
States-in all probability with the complete
backing of Britain and most other NATO
members-can be counted upon to invest
the full weight of it's power and influence
in moves to bring about such rearmament
as speedily as possible. And these moves
can be undertaken, If need be, independ-
emily ofthe Atlantic alliance and Frances
veto rights.
American policy as regards all thissis
not based on mere whimsy or fanciful the
ory. It is based on the down. -to-earth fact
that NATO's highest advisers, including the
French, are unanimous in agreeing that the
participation of armed West German man
power is absolutely indispensable to the ef-
fective defense of free Europe. That is why
the United States has been an enthusiastic
advocate OF the EDO ever since France orig
mated the project. Moreover, our country
and on a thoroughly non-partisan basis, as
Adlai Stevenson has told Mr.. Mendes-
France-for two other reasons as we'll: (1)
Because it would constitute long step for
ward toward an actual political and eco
nonic union offering immense mutual en-
richment to sthe six participating nations,
and (2) because the supranational character
of its army would involve the most effective
possible safeguards against the revival of
a militaristic Germany-safeguards calcu-
lated to calm not only Frances fears on
that score, but RuSSia's also.
It is these points, above all, that the
National Assembly in Paris must weigh with
the utmost care as it moves now toward its
crucial vote. Actually, If it decides to re-
ject ratification of the treaty-as seems
likely at the moment-it will be taking
course that can hardly fail, in the long run,
to do great injury to the vital interests of
France and of free Europe in general. For
it will Thereby invite the very thing that
many of its members claim to fear most
namely, the kind Of unilateral rearmament
that would open the way to re-establish-
ment of German national army unham-
pered by the controls inherent in the EDO.