Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-21
BY ELIZABETH CARPENTER
Special to The star


QUARTERS IN ITALY, Sept.
2l.-On these ancient ancient
streets, where once the Caesars
walked, l saw a strange and
powerful sight: a ring of steel
built by 10000 men from is
different nations, wearing 20
different uniforms, speaking
IL different languages.
The ring of steel is civiliza-
tons newest peace-preserving
invention: the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. 1t is still,
after five years. being per-
fected. 1t has yet to be put to
the test.
Our group of reporters and
Journalists from the NATO
countries. stretching from Ice
land to Portugal, Canada to
Norway, are seeing how NATO
fares in protecting this strate-
gic peninsula.
Strange Sight
To the American whose eye
is accustomed to modern trap
pings, it is a strange spectacle.
My European colleagues who
have seen the conqueror come
and go for 1000 years are not
as impressed as /.
In old Verona. where the
families of Romeo and Juliet
once dueled, are the headquar-
tiers for the NATO Land
south" forces.
General Clemente Primeri,
once high on the staff Of Mus
solini's army, leads 100000
Italians and 5000 American
GIs in their preparations to
defend the Southern European
lands.
In Naples, an American adj
miral, Robert Briscoe. wears
two hats, one as commander
of the Sixth U. S. Fleet which
is based in the Mediterranean,
another as commander-in-
chief of the Allied Forces in
Southern Europe.
The triumph of NATO, these
military men tell us, is that
men who bore arms against
one another IL years ago are
now working together in the
common defense against Com
munism.
Everywhere you hear them
talk Of the spiritual" cohe-
siveness of NATO.
This thing is not held to-
gether by American dollars
despite what you may read in
the press" Admiral Briscoe
said.
There is one thing that
holds us together" he added.
1.-THE determination of the
nations who are a part of it.
Dollars are our main deficiency,
yes. But regardless OF what ad-
ditional support we get, we will
hold together and fight with
what is available"
So. in Italy today. you see
these earmarkS of NATO at
work:
American GIs slipping wine
on the plaza of Verona with
their new commander-in-
arms, the Italian "Alpini,
whose feathered hats tell that
they are the proudest noun
tain-f1ghting brigade Of all
Italy.
Jet planes, made at the Fiat
factory In Turin. roar through
the skies from the Alps across
"The Boot" to where only the
Adriatic separates Italy from
Communist-controlled Alba
MIA. Their pilots are Italians,
trained in Canada.
Opera Bond
On q summers evening,
British, Greek, Turkish,
French, American and Italian
officers enjoy together the
open-air opera held in the
arena built in 80 AID, the
same arena where the Rom
ans amused themselves with
gladiator sports-where later,
the invading barbarians fed
the Christian martyrs to the
lions.
In Naples, the NATO wives
club stuffs Christmas stock
tngs together. It's original
all-American composition is
changed now. and the wife Of
a Turkish officer is president.
There are harrasSments in
the daily work of so many
different nationals. Pay is one.
An Italian general makes
$500 a month less than his
American counterpart, and his
government provides him with
far fewer benefits. The salary
difference at first made it
seem right to place a two
price system at the officers
clubs in Naples.
Obviously it didn't work
and unfortunately. the higher
prices drive the Italian officers
to their own private clubs.
Then, there are too many
Americans who make no effort
to speak the language or like
the people.
I'VE are the worst offenders
at sending a man to a NATO
base just like we would send
him to Randolph Field" one
of my countrymen told me.
"Other countries choose their
men for many qualities, in
Guiding the ability to speak
the language and to be a dip
lonat in military clothing.
Unfortunately, there are too
many American officers who
don't help make things work"
The Americans have a pripe.