Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-19
Eisenhower Letter
1ocoiYSeen0 Opening
Way 10 French Talks
BY ths Asseelussd prsss

IOp level TTcIlCA AAIACA 1SaA
talks on Indo- China. European
defense and other critical issues
appeared possible today as 3
follow-up to the Eisenhower
Churchill meeting opening here
next week.
This prospectFwas brought out
yesterday in q letter sent by
President Eisenhower to French
President Rene Coty and made
public by the White House.
Gen. Eisenhower. noting he
would be meeting informally
with Prime Minister Churchill
and British Foreign Secretary
Eden the week end Of June Is.
told Mr.. Coty that he looked
forward ito resuming with the
government of France such init
mate conversations as I have
had in the past"
Reinsurance and Warning.
The letter was regarded by
diplomats as a gesture OF friend
ship and reinsurance by the
American leader in advance OF
a meeting in which the French
will not participate, and at a
time when the government OF
France has come into the hands
of a new Premier, Pierre Mendes-
France, of whose ideas American
officials have in the past been
critical.
The Eisenhower message was
considerably more than an &C
ton of friendship, however. In
careful language. it warned the
French that so far as the United
States is concerned, time is rum
ming out for ratification OF
the proposed European Defense
Community. The EDO is a
United States-supported plan
for a six-nation defense system
in which Germany would take
part.
The message advised the
French government, moreover,
that while the United States re-
mains deeply interested in form
ing a united defense" against
Communist forces in Indo-China,
it is reserving the right to judge
what might be done under any
future decision.
Cites Continuing Aid.
The President put it this way:
I'm Indo-C China our Nation has
long shown it's deep concern by
heavy financial and material aid
which continues. The proposals
for united defense which we
submitted to Monsieur Laniel
(the previous French premier1
represented on our part "a
momentous and grave decision
Nothing has happened here
to change the attitude thus ex-
pressed, even though the lapse
of time and the events which
have come to pass have, OF
course, created new situation.
But I assure you that we shall
be ready in the same spirit to
open new discussions as the
forthcoming French government
may deem it opportune."
The Presidents words on EDO
had the effect of warning the
French that while United States
policy for several years has been
based on creation of European
army including Germany and
France as we'll as others, the
United States will not wait in
definitely for that to come about.
and the time for reappraisal is
rapidly approaching. State De-
partment officials in fact already
are giving consideration to pos
sible alternatives, including the
rearming of Germany outside of
any European army.
Support Will Continue.
Gen. Eisenhower said he
wanted to assure Mr.. Coty that
a pledge of support concerning
EDO which this country gave
Mr.. Laniel on April Is still
stands land will continue avail
able" to Mr.. Mendes-France.
This pledge set forth a num-
Der of points of United States
policy, including a declaration
that United States forces will be
maintained in Europe as long as
the security of Europe is threat
ened and that the United States
regards the basic North Atlantic
Treaty alliance as a treaty of
indefinite duration, so that it
could be regarded as remaining
In force as long as the proposed
50-year EDO treaty.
These assurances were de-
signed to say to the French that
once Europe's own military
strength was built up by the
addition of German forces, the
United States would not there
upon pull out its own units and
leave France alone with power
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