Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-12-01
BY FRED THERoUx

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The Importance Of the meeting
Of the North Atlantic Treaty Or
sanitation Council In Paris this
month was emphasized last week
by European reaction to President
Eisenhower's cerebral attack. Dis
patches from Paris. London. Bonn
and other capitals seemed close to
despair In voicing serious concern
over the effects on NATO's pros
poets.
Yesterday there was q contrast
ing air of hopefulness In reports
from Europe on the heels Of the
White House announcement that
Mr.. Eisenhower's rapid recovery
may permit his attendance at the
Paris meeting after all. Plainly.
the Presidents presence is deeply
desired to lend to the deliberations
the prestige and popularity Mr..
Eisenhower has enjoyed In West
ern Europe since the Geneva
summit" conference In 1855.
Even II the President were to take
no active part In the Council's
work. his attendance at Paris
would. in the view Of NATO lead
ers. afford the extra prestige they
know this Council session de-
mandS.
Why the Importance OF this
Council session? Basically, the
immediate need to reappraise
NATO's role in the defense OF the
free world. Far more than a
move to strengthen and refortify
the unity Of the West. this Council
session must cope with the cold
reality Of a radical change in the
worlds strategic situation.
The Changing BoIonce
When NATO was established,
largely with American leadership.
in l949. the military balance Of
power was heavily in favor of the
West. Only the United States pos
seSsed effective nuclear arms and
the means to deliver them. and
the strategy Of the Western ma
tons was to depend on that de-
terrent power. NATOs role was
envisioned principally as the
huild-up Of ground forces in West
ern Europe sufficient to discourage
or slow a Russian thrust from East
Germany toward the Channel
coast.
While the NATO mission con-
tinues to include resistance by
conventional forces to any pos
sible Soviet attack. the drastic
change in the ratio Of military
power between East and West has
rendered the original strategic
concept Of NATO obsolete. In adj
dition. events Of the past few
years have strained the ties that
bind together NATOs foundation
big three"-Britain, France and
the United States.
Relations between the three ma
tons have been at times tense and
dangerously disagreeable. Despite
vigorous efforts to preserve har-
mony. there still exist areas Of
discord viewed as serious threats
to the full effectiveness Of the
NATO concept. The Suez debacle
Of 1856. in which Washington
joined with Moscow to oppose the
invasion Of Egypt by Britain.
France and Israel. nearly wrecked
the accord. And relations between
the United States and France are
still chilled by French resentment
and Illustration over her steady
losses Of territory in North Africa.
Time for Reopproisol
Today. with Soviet supremacy
in the missile and rocket field
virtually certain-at least for the
moment-NATO must reappraise
its military role as well as REIN
force the rapport Of its three
strongest members. In addition.
other members must be treasured
that the British and American
monopoly Of nuclear weapons
among the free world nations will
not result in a RELOCATION of nom
nuclear powers in NATO to sub
ordinate roles.
President Eisenhower and Sec
rotary Of State Dulles, in their
talks last month with Britain's
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
and Foreign Secretary Selwyn
Lloyd. took the view that the OBJ
legations Of today's NATO would
require a pooling Of efforts and
resources. with each member ma
ton contributing whatever it can
do best. Logical as this proposition
may seem, the immense contrast
between nuclear and non-nuclear
power has given rise to fears
among the non-nuclear power