Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-12-13
French Disagree

headline must be met.
French disagree
Refusal Of the Germans to
take this deadline seriously is
looked on here as dangerous.
One informed official COM
mented:
IF that's really the way the
Germans feel, the situation is
very grave indeed"
Another authoritative French
source fatty contradicted the
German Chancellor:
December 81 is q political
date" he declared. 1T is not a
precise calendar date, perhaps.
If 1t is simply a question Of
clearing up a final detail. the
clock can be stopped in the
time-honored diplomatic tradi-
ton when headlines are
reached. But there must be
very real progress by that
time"
If there is no such progress,
the same source said, France
would consider that the Ger
mans had defaulted on q SOL
emn obligation. And since in
the French view the Common
Market itself Is nothing more
than a series of solemn obliga-
tons strung together like q
string Of pearls, a German de-
fault at this point would mean
that the market would for all
practical purposes cease to
exist"
No German Proposal
This eventuality, French Of
ficials add hastily. is not ex-
pected. 1t is almost unthink-
able. they say. that Germany
should deliberately carry things
to these lengths. 1t Is quite
clear, however, that there Is
danger Of a miscalculation on
Mr.. Erhard's part.
The most disturbing feature
from the French viewpoint is
failure of the Germans so far
to propose any sort Of horse
trade. Essential technical de-
tail Of an agricultural agree
ment, they contend, are virtu-
ally settled. Others present no
particularly difficult problem.
The French had confidently
Expected the Germans to pro-
pose a package deal involving
a commitment from France on
their attitude toward future
tariff negotiations with the
United States and other coun-
tries outside the Common Mar
ket. They declare themselves
perfectly willing to negotiate
on this issue. But so far 1t
seems the subject has not even
been raised.
Impartial spectators watch
ing the struggle of wills be-
tween Paris and Bonn cannot
be sure exactly who is bluffing
1t Is quite clear to observers
here. however, that French
President Charles de Gaulle
will not back down from the
position he has taken. At the
very least, failure to agree in
Brussels will mean an indefi-
mite postponement Of tariff ne
gotiations between the market
group and the United States.
Course Uncertain
Whether it will go further
than this is anybody's guess. It
is a strong possibility that no
one in the French government
itself knows with certainty
what Gen. de Gaulle might do.
Most observers, however, be-
lieve he would stop short of a
complete wrecking Job. One Of
them commented:
You may feel very strongly
that a baby should start eating
with a spoon at the age of 8.
II he doesn't you might spank
him. But you wouldn't be likely
to strange him unless YOU
didn't want him very much to
begin with"
Gen. de Gaulle, Of course, did
not want the Common Market
to begin with, but accepted
obligations which he inherited
on coming to power. Since
then 1T has come to provide the
essential framework for the
generals own conception of an
organization Of Europe. He
would be unlikely to scrap il
unless he decided its usefulness
and validity were gone.
The Brussels conference re-
ceSsed today after three days
OF Improbable haggling. The
German minister of agriculture
did not even bother to attend
Hopes at this point are pinned
on a critical meeting, scheduled
for next Wednesday, to be at.
tended by all six foreign min.
iSters along with ministers fol
agriculture and finance.