Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-05
By Benz PRICE

Aug. o,-On paper SA7J WV
sions constitute the North At
lantic Treaty Organizations
shield for the protection of
Central Europe.
These divisions supposedly
are near full strength, we'll
equipped and combat ready
425, 900 men. A reporter tour
ing Allied commands, however,
finds it difficult to believe the
Allies could muster more than
100000 troops, some Indifferent
ly equipped, against an attack.
Under NATO policy this lard
force would meet any Soviet ag-
erosion as close to the FROM
tiers of the 750-mile long Iron
Curtain as possible and hold
them there until the rest OF
Europe could mobilize.
In discussing NATO policy a
briefing officer at Supreme
Headquarters, Allied Powers,
Europe (SHAPE), I'VE have no
offensive plans at this head
quarters" In response to a
question. he added, I'VE do
have counteroffensive plans"
Invasion Routes Guarded
The Job of these 21h divI-
sions is to guard the three main
invasion routes into the heart
of NATO from the East-the
North European Plain. the Nit
tlegebirge Gap in Central Ger
many and the Danube Valley
in the South.
The shield force consists on
paper of five United States
divisions, four from the United
Kingdom, two from France,
seven from Germany, two from
Belgium and one from The
Netherlands, plus one-third Of
a Canadian division.
But paper strength does not
win battles. How many of these
divisions actually are ready for
modern combat?
Gen. Jean-Etienne Valluy,
who has been a French soldier
for AZ of his go years, is COM
mander in chief of the allied
forces in Central Europe with
headquarters at Fontainebleau.
In an interview conducted
through an interpreter, Gen.
Valluy said that if he had to
undertake land war in Europe
tomorrow there would be three
divisions he could not commit
Immediately one each from
France, Belgium and The
Netherlands.
Force is Scaled Down
Could the British really mus
ter four divisions? THE British
could muster three" Gen. VAL
luy replied.
The General then was asked,
"Do all the divisions assigned
to your command really exist?"
After a moments reflection,
Gen. Valluy said. "All the di-
visions exist but not at full
strength"
Thus by Gen. Valluy's reck-
oning the shield force for Cen
trail Europe now is II combat
divisions ready for action, but
that is not the whole story.
The seven German divisions
exist, but four are essentially
training divisions. The other
three are heavily armored,
highly mobile units of 5000 to
10000 men each.
II the German training divi-
sions are removed from the list
of the combat-fit units, Gen.
Valluy's land forces are re-
duced to 1879 divisions. But
again that is not the whole
story.
Faces an AnachrOniSm
Gen. Valluy noted that the
British and Belgian forces con-
tain large numbers of foot SOL
diers. In these days of atomic
battlefield weapons and mech
anization, the walking soldier
may be an anachronism.
Gen. Valluy was asked what
he considered his major prob
lem. MY main fear and worry
is the feeling of moral disen-
gagement some nations seem to
have toward NATO."
In February, 1857, Britain
formally advised her Allies that
a strained economy was forcing
her to reduce her NATO COM
mitment in Germany from
10000 troops to $4,000. France
notified NATO of a similar in
tention at the same time.
Gen. LauriS Norstad, SHAPE
commander, called the cuts
dangerous.
Aside from the economic
angle. Britain said she felt the
development of missiles and
rockets had reduced the man.
power needs of NATO.
AS for the French, nearly all
of the nations flrst-line troops
are committed to the suppress
sion of the Algerian rebellion.
Once France had five divisions
in the NATO shield. Now she
has either at full
strength, according to an
American source.
Here's the Hard Fact
All this boils down to a single
hard fact: There seem to be-
precisely eight divisions now in
the NATO shield which are full
strength, we'll equipped and
highly trained for atomic war
fare-five United States divi-
sions and three German.
If Gen. Norstad is going to
get the 80 divisions he says he