Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-18
Unity Is Imperative

Speaking before the National Press
Club, in his first public address as Brit
aims new Ambassador to the United
States, Sir Harold Caccia has uttered
some basic truths that need to be kept
constantly in mind despite the serious
differences that have come to strain re-
lations between our two countries.
These differences, stemming prima-
rily, from the gozit-alone Anglo French
adventure in Egypt have shaken the
Western alliance at time of crisis in
the world. They are differences, of course,
that can be exaggerated beyond their
true dimensions, but even so, as Sir Har-
old has acknowledged, 1t would be folly
to ignore them or to Shrug them of as
II they were of minor consequence. For
they are not minor, not in any sense, and
lot of earnest effort will be required to
patch them up.
But the patching can and will be
done because it must be done. After all,
the British Ambassador has not exagger-
ated in declaring that the closest possible
Anglo-American relations are of capital
Importance" to the entire free world. AS
he has put it, "The dangers which con-
front us at the present moment are very
real, in the Middle East and in Central
Europe, and 1t is in times such as this
that the mutual understanding must be
made capable of taking the strain" And
the same holds true not simply for Brit
ain and the United States, but for France
and every other member of the Atlantic
alliance.
All this presageS difficult policy
concerning problem whose solution very
probably will have to entail marked
change for the better in the lament
able program of action that Britain and
France have followed in the Middle East.
And they can hardly effect such change
without making big concessions to our
own country'S view, which from the start
has been altogether opposed to their ILL
fated Egyptian gamble Just to point
to this prospect is enough to suggest
that the task of harmonizing Western
relationships and strengthening Western
unity is not likely to be easy. Yet we can
be reasonably sure that it will succeed.
This is so because the Atlantic alli-
dllCe Is SClIl going concern, SClll potent
in spite of the strains that trouble it, still
an operating entity of the greatest sig
nif1cance. reasSuring illustration of
this can be found in the partnership
efforts of Britain and the United States.
Certainly, in Ambassador Caccia'S words,
we ought not to "lose sight Of the fact
that in all areas of the world threatened
by Communists day-to-day collabo-
ration of thousands of British and Amer
lean officials, soldiers and sailors and air.
men never stops and is going on at this
moment all around the globe.'
All of us, on both sides of the ocean,
would do well not to minimize the vast
Importance of such continuing co-opera-
ton. 1t is the kind of cooperation that
must be maintained and intensified to
insure the safety Of the free world. Ger
tainly, as long as this obvious and COM
Polling fact dominates the thinking of
the Atlantic allies, there will be good
reason to share President Eisenhower's
own hope and confidence that Western
Unity, regardless Of present difficulties,
can and will be made stronger than
ever" in the days ahead.