Evening star., 1954-04-16
President Says
Stay in.
West Europe
American Military
Pledge Prods France,
ItoIy to Rotify EDO
By Gornett D. Horner
StoF Stoff Correspondent

AUGUSTA. Ga. April 16.-
President Eisenhower today
promised that the United States
will back up the projected Euro
pean Defense Community by
keeping appropriate" units of
its armed forces in Western Eu-
rope as long as needed to help
repel any Soviet aggression.
In a powerful prod for French
and Italian ratification of the
EDO treaty. the President also:
1. Declared that the United
States will regard as a threat to
-~---
President Defines U. S. Stond on EDc
and Atlantic Poet. Poee At
its own security "any action
from whatever quarter" threat
ening the integrity or unity of
the EDO after it comes into
being. This was a reinsurance to
France against fears of a re-
armed Germany trying to burst
EDO bonds.
2. Held out hope for contribu-
ton of more American know
how on the use of atomic and
hydrogen weapons for improve
ment Of the collective defense"
3. Sought to calm some allied
fears that his new massive re-
taliation" policy might leave
Western Europe open to Red
Army occupation at the start of
any new war by asserting
Americas aim is to help build
the concrete strength needed to
deter aggression and, if aggres-
sion occurs, to halt 1t without
the devastation or occupation of
any NATO country"
Addresses Six Premiers.
The Presidents assurances
were made in a message to the
prime ministers of the six ma
tions which signed the EDO
treaty nearly two years ago
France, Italy, West Germany.
Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxembourg.
The last four of those <coun-
tries have ratified the treaty.
France and Italy have been
stalling, however, thus delaying
the arming Of West German
forces considered essential for
effective defense of Western
Europe.
Providing for q six-nation
European defense force. into
which West German units would
be integrated, the EDO project
originally was put forward by
France as a means for adding
German armed strength to the
Western defense buildup with
out re-creating a German ma
tional army.
Traditional French fears of
German might have contributed
to Frances delay in ratifying the
treaty. French opponents of
EDO have argued that q re-
armed Germany might eventually
seek to dominate the European
army or pull her forces out to
act independently against France.
Wilson Statement Disturbing.
Such fears were heightened
last fall by Secretary of Defense
Wilson's assertion in a news
conference that perfection of
new weapons should eventually
enable the United States to
withdraw its forces from Europe.
France then asked for asSur-
ances from the United States
and Great Britain that she never
would be left at the mercy of q
rearmed Germany. French Pre-
mier Laniel and Foreign Minister
Bidault sought such guarantees
from President Eisenhower and
Prime Minister Churchill at the
Big Three conference in Ber-
muda last December.
Britain's answer came We'd
nesday in pledging an armored
division to service in the pro-
jected European army and that
British forces will stay on the
European continent as long as
the threat Of Soviet aggression
exists.
The United States answer was
Gen. EiSenhower'S message to
the six EDO prime ministers.