Evening star., 1954-12-26
October
Hazel Takes Back Seat
To Wilson's Bird Dogs
And Puris Agreements

The years most unforgettable
Washington visitors destructive
lady named Hazel-made her ap-
pearance in October. But even such
q phenomenon as the years eighth
hurricane could hardly vie for top
billing with the bird-dog remark Of
Defense Secretary Charles e. Wilson
and the completion Of the Paris
agreements on West European unity.
Mr.. Wilson's remark about bird
dogs and kennel dogs really was q
tempest in teapot, but it was sig
nificant as one of the first indica-
tions that election tempers and
election fervor were near the boil
ing point.
Paris Accords
Actually. far and away the most
significant thing that happened in
October was the march Of events
climaxed late In the month in the
signing Of accords at Paris. In the
last hours before the signing, diplo-
mats held onto their chairs and
feared for the worst.
All turned out we'll, however, when
M. Mendes-F France and Herr Aden-
auer came to eleventh-hour terms
on the ranking issue Of the Ger
man-speaking, French-g ed
Saar Basin. Neither France nor Ger
many was really happy about the
Saar outcome. but it was better than
nothing. and paved the way for the
Western European Union.
Similarly. another problem-area
was compromised after an open COW
enant, secretly arrived at. was en-.
gineered by United States Under
secretary of State Robert Murphy.
Tito's Communist Yugoslavia and
Scelba's Democratic Italy came to
terms at last on Trieste, with Tito
getting q bit more territory than he
had before. and Scelba gaining q
handful more population.
West European developments
made the Kremlin unhappy. Soviet
Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molo-
tov asked for a Big -Four conference
on unifying and neutralizing Ger
many. The West saw the proposal
for what it was-just another at
tempt to put a stumbling block In
the way of West European unity.
Disarmament Plan
AS usual. the Communists had
their propaganda ducks in a row.
In the United Nations Soviet Dele
gate Andrei Vishinsky showed that
he, too. was in a talking mood. He
agreed to discuss disarmament
and even to deal with the question
of conventional ornaments before
turning to the subject Of outlawing
atomic warfare. This sounded like
a new departure-but there was no
indication that any sincere desire
for effective disarmament was in the
mind Of the hard-bitten Russian
front man.
Asio
On the other side Of the world
the Reds were busy. too. Ho Chi
Mini, Communist leader in Indo-
China, was solidifying his grip on
the northern part Of Wet Nam. while
the French argued over Who--they
or the Americans-Should call the
military turn south of the nth par
allel.
While this question was being de-
bated in Saigon, leaders Of native
factions in Wet Nam were pickering
among themselves for control Of the
government. Sometimes this took
the form Of shouting. quite often it
turned out to be shooting.
midas neutraliSt Prime Miuister
Nehru made q journey to Peiping.
He seemed only slightly impressed
by Red China, and made 1t clear
tfiat, he preferred India's free climb
up from pauperfsm to China's un-
free advance. But If the visit dis
enchanted him Of some Of his be-
liefs about the Reds. 1t did nothing
to change Mr.. Nei1ru's opinion that
the world even the continent Of
Asia-can continue indefinitely -
live half slave and half free.
Eisenhower c0mpoisns
Ia the United States. the pre-
election campaign was getting On.