Evening star., 1954-09-30
London Conference
Reported Agreeing
On Arms Control
By the Associated Press

I LONDON, Sept. 30.-A Ger
man spokesman announced to-
day the nine-power conference
on freeing and rearming Ger
many has approved a compro-
mise plan for establishing and
controlling a European arms
pool.
The plan, put forward by
Belgian Foreign Minister Paul
Henri Spaak, would divide re-
sponsibility for safeguards on
runaway German rearmament
between new seven-nation
European alliance and the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Previously. France had in
sisted on the seven-nation au-
thority exercising controls while
West Germany - with British
and American backing-held out
for NATO supervision.
The German spokesman told
newsmen the Spaak compromise
met with the approval OF
German Chancellor Konrad)
Adenauer and (French Premier
Pierre) Mendes-France and was
also acceptable to the other dele
cations" He described the
Spaak memorandum put before
the conference today as excel
lent"
The German announcement
came shortly before the nine for
eign ministers reassembled for
their afternoon session.
Air of Elation Prevails.
An air of elation and optimism
surrounded Lancaster House,
where the momentouS conference
is being held. over chances of
an agreement to put German
divisions in the line against Com
munist aggression.
Hopes scared as a result OF
the pledge by British Foreign
Secretary Anthony Eden yester-
day that British troops and all
forces will be kept on the Eu-
ropean mainland indefinitely II
the conference succeeds.
A good welcome was also giver
United States Secretary of State
Dulles promise that he woulo
urge President Eisenhower tc
renew the United States pledge
to maintain troops in Europe il
a rearmed Germany was brought
into the Atlantic alliance.
The other eight foreign minis
ters apparently think chances u
agreement are so good that thes
are practically ignoring Mr.
Dulles warning that failure
might result in withdrawal OF
the American forces from
Europe.
The ministers met for two
hours this morning.
Mr.. Dulles, Mr.. Eden, Mr.
Adenauer and Mr.. Mendes-
France arranged to get together
late today to talk over the issue
of granting West Germany COM
plete sovereignty.
Mr.. Adenauer predicted the
delegates would finish their task
tonight. Others. notably the
French, thought the details
would take somewhat longer to
work out,
Rejecting the ministers con-
ference that an agreement was
near. Mr.. Dulles advanced his
expected date of departure for
Washington to Saturday night.
Previously he had planned to fly
home Sunday.
Good Progress Reported.
"It's going very we'll now.''
Canadian Foreigd Secretary
Lester B. Pearson told newsmen
at noon. A British Foreign Office
spokesman added that good
progress was made at the morn
Ing session.
Informants disclosed Mr.. Eden
has tossed into the committee
considering German sovereignty
a proposal that calls for immedi-
ate termination of the Western
Big Three occupation - before
final agreement on the arms
issue.
Mr.. Eden would give the Ger
mans practically full control
over their internal and external
affairs, but without the right to
rearm for the time being. This
proposal shocked the French and
even surprised the Americans.
The informants said Mr.. Eden
may have put this idea forward
solely to bring pressure on the
French to agree quickly on the
twin problems - German SOW
ereignty and armament control
Declarations by Mr.. Eden and
Mr.. Dulles yesterday concerning