Evening star., 1954-10-03
Conference
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mitted the first from Secretary
Dulles. proposed that the final
control system should be decided
BY . two-thirds majority Of the
Brussels organization ministers.
In the meantime. Germany
would undertake to manufacture
virtually no arms for a period
Of UP to two years. Although
some features of the Dulles plan
may have been picked up in the
final agreement, the plan itself
was turned down. The principle
objections. it was reported, came
from the Belgians and the Dutch.
The second compromise pro-
posal came from Belgian Foreign
Minister Spaak. It proposed q
complete ban on the manufac-
ture OF atomic, meteorological
and chemical weapons for all
continental Western Europe. Ex-
ceptions to this general rule, said
Mr.. Spaak, could be left to the
discretion of the Brussels organ
iZation authority.
This plan. in turn, was re-
jected outright by the French
at the start of the nine-power
meeting which got under way
at II am. Two hours of fruit.ess
discussion followed at the end
of winch a restricted session of
the conference was suggested
with only one adviser for each
Of the nine foreign ministers.
The opening of the secret
meeting marked the lowest point
of the f1ve-day conference. AL
most despairingly the ministers
went back to the point from
which they had started last
Tuesday-the original highly
complicated French plan and the
slr1pilfied counter proposal that
Mr.. Spaak had produced at the
tire. Tie Belgian plan picked
up the main idea Of the French: I:
that manufacture of important
weapons should be banned in
strategically-exposed zones-
csslm.nt cnten ,osioally included West
Using this plan as q starting
point, the ministers moved to-
ward a new formula. The idea of
strategic zones was dropped. In
it's place it was suggested that
Germany should make an inde-
pendent declaration undertaking
to prohibit production of certain
kinds of weapons. The exact list
would be drawn UP by experts
within a month of the close of
the London Conference.
Hard Won Progress.
Gradually. as the afternoon
wore on, the conference seemed
to be making progress. But long
before a final agreement was
reached. tempers had worn thin.
Most observers here feel that
M. Mendes-France has done
himself great harm by his be-
havior during the closing ses-
sions of the conference. The thin
veneer of confidence and cor
diality that had been built up
during the opening days has
been badly cracked in the general
view of the French Premier was
treated most generously by the
other eight powers here. The
principles which he demanded for
control of rearmed Germany
were accepted without quibbling
from the outset. Britain's COM
mitment of four divisions to the
continent and the American
promise Of support for the Brus-
sells organization virtually as
sured support of a majority in
the French National Assembly.
Among other allied delegations
there is bitterness that M.
Mendes-France should have
clung so stubbornly to the letter
of his original plan, holding out
until the last minute against
any attempt at compromise.
If a final agreement is reached
tomorrow, all these irritations
may seem quite Yunimportant.
Tonight there is disappointment
that new experiment in West
ern European unity has gotten
off to a more congenial start.