Evening star., 1954-07-27
For a Defenseless West


It seems quite obvious that the Krem-
lin, in It's latest notes to France, Britain and
the United States, is interested primarily in
Three and killing or the projected Euro
pean Defense Community.
To that end, in way that may appeal
to left-wing elements among the British
Laborites and to muddle headed French
"neutralists," the Soviet notes do little more
than repeat what Soviet notes have said
before. In short, completely upending the
facts Of international life, they depict the
men of the Kremlin as white plumed
knights f1ghting for decent peace against
evil forces (mostly American) intent upon
unleashing aggression against Russia and
the other peoples democracies" behind the
Iron.C Curtain.
Thus, with consummately brazen
mockery of the truth, the notes libel the
United States as warmongering villain
blighting the hopes of the world; warn that
West Germanys rearmament would result
in a revival of Hitlerism; argue that the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an
aggressive" conspiracy because Russia has
not been admitted into it; demand that the
proposed EDO and its six-nation suprana-
tional army be scrapped; and propose, in
stead, the creation Of Europe system
of collective security, in which our own
country could participate as a member.
And to bring about such system the
Kremlin wants to stage, "in the next few
months" a conference of all the continen-
tai states-"and also the U. s. A."-that
may wish to take part in 1t, with Red China
to be present as an observer"
what all this adds up to, Of course, is
lust another Soviet effort to persuade the
West to render itself defenseless. The Rus
slams would like nothing better than to sub
vert and paralyze the NATO alliance, and
hence their rather fantastic suggestion that
they should be allowed to become partners
in that alliance. However, knowing that
such partnership is wholly out Of the
question in the context Of present events,
the Malenkov regime playing upon French
fears Of resurgent German militarism and
upon some British fears along the same
line-has moved again to discourage the
yacillating National Assembly In Paris from
ratifying the EDC treaty. AS flrst proposed
by Foreign Minister MoIotov at the Berlin
Conference early this year, the alternative
to that treaty, and to NATO as well, should
be the pan-European security pact-a Mos
COW dominated arrangement that would
completely ''neutralize" Germany and ex-
pose the entire continent to conquest by
the Kremlin.
It need hardly be added that the Soviet
government, in now reaffirning this old
and palpably unacceptable proposal, is well
aware of the fact that the Western Big
Three will almost certainly reject 1t once
again. But the men OF the Kremlin appar-
emily feel that they have nothing to lose,
and perhaps lot to gain, from restating
the issue for propaganda purposes at the
present time-a time when Anglo French
American unity, as q result Of the Geneva
negotiations on Indo-C China, is none ooim-
pressive as regards number OF important
things, including the EpC.
Accordingly, In responding TO the new
Soviet notes, 1t must be hoped that France,
Britain and the United States will demon
strate that their common front on the
essentials Of mutual defense has not weak
ened. After all, what the Kremlin has
asked of them Is nothing less than deci-
sion to dismantle the security system OF
the free western world, and they should
find It easy to answer with firm and COM
pletely united mo" to that.