Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-26
Target: France

Target: france
American pressure against France
for q more lenient attitude toward
West Germany got so heavy last
week that Premier Pierre Mendes-
France thought Secretary Dulles was
trying to push him out Of office. Per-
haps Mr.. Dulles meant to leave that
impression.
But Washington observers found
it hard to believe that the State De-
partment would Cd rate its inf1u-
ence on French politics SO highly.
ca throw away M. Mendes-France's
refreshing influence on the French
economy or CD risk getting an even
less cooperative Premier in his
place.
1t did seem likely however, that
Mr.. Dulles was putting his policies
toward France on well-oiled pivot
which could swing either toward
Cancellation or arrangement. The
direction of the swing no doubt will
depend very much on what happens
In London this week.
The place of France in American
foreign policy has been one of the
most finely balanced questions con-
fronting the State Department since
the end of World War II. 1.-THE
problem" as a recent Bookings In
stitution study put it, "is to deter
mine whether American policy
should or should not accept. as a
basis for action, the concept of
France as world power"
Change Of Heart
Until this summer, the United
States gave France the benefit of the
doubt. This meant we had to go
along with French fears of reviving
German brute strength. we had to
defer to French methods in dealing
with her colonies in North Africa,
and we had to follow French lead
in Indo-China.
Painful consequences of this policy
have emerged in the last few months.
France rejected what most other
European powers looked upon as a
reasonable scheme to rearm West
Germany within the anti-Com-
munist Atlantic community. The
United States lost many friends in
the Arab-Asian bloc by playing along
with French go-slow policies in CIV
ing North African colonies more say
In their own affairs. And France
yielded strategic ground to COM
munism in Indo-C China this summer
sin return for an end of the war she
was leading there.
Demoting France from the world
power category would have both adj
vantages and disadvantages for the
United States. 1t would free this
country for closer alliance with
West Germany, whose future as q
world power is much brighter than
Frances. It could lead to an i'm
provement in American relations
with the Arab-Asian bloc. And 1t
might free the United States for a
stronger role in Indo-C China.
Question Of Bases .
The disadvantages of treating
France like a second-rate power are,
however. still great, even after the
EDO and Indo-China reversals.
Military bases which the United
States has built up in France at
great expense and after a consid-
cradle investment of time, would
probably be endangered by a swell
in anti-American feeling. Open re-
lance on Germany in Central
Europe undoubtedly would encour-
age that country to play off Russia
against the United States and the
price of German friendship could
be expected to 60 up and up. In
North Africa, American airbases in
Morocco and Tunis would be in
secure and. quite possibly, France
would hold onto it's colonies with
an even tighter grip. In Indo- China,
France might decide on a complete
withdrawal, giving communism an
even greater victory than it has
already scored.
These are some of the alterna-
tives on Mr.. Dulles mind this week
end as he prepares in London for
the opening of the nine-power talks
Tuesday. Besides the host British
government and the United States,
other nations represented will be
France, West Germany. Belgium
Holland, Luxembourg. Italy and
Canada.
Two Plons
The conference will have two
plans before it, that proposed by
British Foreign Secretary Anthony
Eden and the alternative Of M
Mendes- France.
Mr.. Eden, whose plan is Endorsed
by all European powers at the con.
ference except France, suggests eli
minating supernatural" features
of the old EDO plan which France
jected. He implies that Britain will
be willing to associate itself closely
with a European community. a:
France long has urged.
Mr.. Eden also wants to give West
Germany her sovereignty quickly
however, and to bring her into thu
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
forthwith. As an argument pro, h'