Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-26
Moves
Continued From First Page.)

long time. They don't begin to
explain the crisis in Anglo-Amer-
lean relations that has arisen.
AS it seems to most observers
here, the real cause of this crisis
has been an extraordinary mis-
ejaculation of the f1exibility of
British policy and a heavy over
draft on reserves of British pa
thence by American leaders.
Although these differences
have made headlines and raised
temperatures. it must be empha-
SiSed that there is no real anti
American feeling here. The aver
age Britain is a pretty long
suffering bird. In his time he
has stood cheerfully under the
vicissitudes of invasion, bomb
ing, rationS and the Welfare
State. Whatever he may think
of American leadership in the
free world, he can swallow it
without choking and with only
an understandable amount of
suffering. He is the first to
admit that when it comes to
detectives we are all in the same
boat. All that he asks is that
his own problems be taken into
account.
Fact Drilled into BritOnS.
At the same time, these prob
lens are real and they have
been developing rapidly within
recent months. They start with
one fact that is drilled firmly
into the mind of every Briton:
British policy i necessarily
grounded on a triangular base.
One foot is planted in Europe,
a second in the Commwealth
and a third in the United
States.
It's a position that rules out
the kind of diplomatic free
wheeling possible in the United
States and makes for a built-jn
conservatism in international af-
fairs. It's a precarious position.
Knock the prop out from under
meath any leg of the tripod and
Britain, economically. STRATEGY
cally, politically or any other
way. is in the soup.
In the past few weeks. this
position has been critically
threatened. The footing has be-
come unusually slippery at all
points, Britain has been faced
with a dilemma: If she main
tains at all cost her ties with
the United States, she may
jeopardize her ties with Europe
and the Commonwealth.
The buildup to the crisis has
been slow. It has come with the
development over the past sew
eral years of something that
might be called a European
policy in the EaSt-WeSt conflict
Negotiating Emphasized.
This is a policy which strongly
emphasizes the need for negotia-
ton with the Communists ano
for the avoidance of any show
down which might bring genera
war. It finds a resounding echo
in many parts of the British
Commonwealth, particularly ir
India. And it has been develop
ing at the same time as Ameri-
can policy has been headed ir
exactly the opposite direction
toward a state of mind which
rules out in advance the pos
sibility of compromise short OF
capitulation, and adjustment OF
differences.
When Secretary of State
Dulles came to London to ask
Britain to join in a united eff
fort to save Indo-China from
communism, the crisis could nc
longer be ignored. The Geneva
conference was about to start
The British government had not
asked for the conference. Most
British leaders were very scepti-
cal indeed that anything would
come of it. But it was also
clear that millions of people in
Britain, in Europe and in Asia
did believe in the conference
and would insist that nothing be
done to prejudice the outcome
Rightly or wrongly. it seemed
that what Mr.. Dulles was sug-
costing did just that.
In spite Of subsequent claims
there was never any miSunder-
standing on this point. AS one
highly informed source put it
ANY misunderstanding between
Mr.. Dulles and Mr.. Eden coulc
only have been q misunderstand-
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