Evening star., 1962-12-14

@o@AN ~ NAAAAASAAJ w NOAAbaAl
His assessment was delivert
ministers. At the same sesSio
the Soviet submarine fleet and
in Soviet rocket deployment
were presented and analysed.
Two members of President
Kennedy's cabinet - Secretary
Of State Rusk and Defense
Secretary McNamara-Stressed
that NATO needs adequate
conventional strength in order
to have a choice of responses to
aggressive Soviet moves.
Offers Nuclear Plan
Mr.. Rusk reaffirmed the will
lingness of the United States
Government to help set up a
Seaborne multi-national Euro
pean nuclear force and said
Washington is anxious to sound
out the feelings of its European
partners on this subject.
But Mr.. Rusk specified that
the Europeans themselves would
have to work out ideas on the
political control for such a de-
terrent. He also specified that
the vast expense Of this project
would have to be shared.
Mr.. Mcnamara said that in
the Cuban crisis the day was
won more by conventional than
by nuclear power. He cited this
as an object lesson, since in the
case of Cuba the conventional
forces were the' Sword" and
the nuclear power was the
shield" The old concept for
defending Western Europe was
exactly the reverse, with nu-
clear weapons regarded as the
sword or cutting edge and con-
ventional units the shield.
In a reference to the British
and French, Mr.. Mcnamara
said the United States, on a
military basis, is against hav-
ing any of the allies spend any
more money on independent
nuclear strategic forces.
He added, however, that
Washington realizes this also
is a political matter. The
American Government, Mr..
Mcnamara continued, is deeply
interested in having nuclear
strength so managed that all
members of the alliance can
place full confidence in its
effectiveness and reliability.
The United States, he said,
Is prepared to study how the
alliance might share effec-
lively in the actual operation,
manning. deployment ana con-
troll of the nuclear deterrent.
Cool Reaction
Conference sources said Brit
iSh Defense Minister Peter
Thorneycroft reacted coolly to
the American calls for more
allied effort in the conventional
field.
The days session began with
a study of intelligence reports.
According to this information:
/. The Soviet Union is
steadily increasing the number
and deployment of its missiles.
2. The Soviet submarine
force also is growing and now
is the largest in the world.
This includes nuclear-powered
submarines. Western experts
doubt, however, that the Rus
slams now are able to fire
Polaris-type nuclear missiles
from submerged submarines.
Admiral Robert l.. Dennison,
supreme commander in the
Atlantic, and Admiral Sir Alex
ander Bingley, who heads the |
Channel Command, each |
warned Of the threat inherent |
in the buildup of Russian sub
marines. Both pointed out |
that the Atlantic, the English
Channel and the North Sea
would have to be controlled by |
the alliance to give NATO |
proper t-back strength.
The ministers devoted the
whole day to military prob
lens. The morning session
lasted for more than three
hours.
Await EurOpe's Move
Conference sources said Mr..
Mcnamara did not spell out
in detail American thinking on |
the multi-national European
nuclear deterrent. but made it
clear the Americans have al
ready made an offer on this
subject and that the proposal
first advanced two years ago.
still stands. Now 1t is up to
the Europeans to come forward
with suggestions Of their own,
he said.
NATO has never been able
to achieve its target of 80 COM
bat-ready divisions in Western
Europe
Private comment before the
session showed the depth of
emotion and resentment
aroused by the unconcealed
wish of the United States that