Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-28
Melancholy Interval

The President will meet tomorrow
with Prime Minister Macmillan, not in
London, but in the privacy of Mr.. Mac
millans Birch Grove estate in Sussex
We wonder what they will talk about
1t seems unlikely that the Prime
Minister will want to conduct study
In depth Of the Profumo affair which
has wrecked his political career. The
multilateral nuclear force, which Wis.,
count Montgomery calls the biggest
military nonsense ever perpetrated," will
hardly have prominent spot on the
agenda, despite the advance billings.
1t was knocked on the head in Germany.
The word from the Presidents CONVEX
Sations there Is that the United States
and West German officials concluded
that political uncertainties" in Britain
and Italy make 1t necessary to post
pone" plans for the multilateral project.
From this diplomatic circumlocution,
we deduce that it is as dead as Mr.. Pro-
fumoS political career.
It is suggested that Mr.. Kennedy
and Mr.. Macmillan nevertheless will
find things to talk about-nuclear tests,
Laos, the Common Market, etc. But we
have a feeling that the session at Birch
Grove will be a rather unhappy inter-
lude. In what, up to now, has been a
stimulating and possibly important pres
idential journey.
The most enjoyable part of the trip
as far as the President is concerned
surely was the sojourn in Ireland with
cousins, aunts and uncles galore. One
correspondent reported that the farm
yard at the old place was "crammed"
with KennedyS. The President must
have felt as though he'd never left
Washington.
When the results Of this preSiden-
tial Journey finally shake down, how
ever. we have strong bunch that the
visit 10 Germany will be counted as its
most important aspect And this not
because the American President received
an enthusiastic welcome in West Ger
many or because he was met with
greeting which really shook the rafterS
when he went to West Berlin. What will
lingef on, in addition to the back-off
from the multilateral force, is the sig
nifieant message which Mr.. Kennedy
conveyed to the Germans. ~a.
The gist of this was a sensible bit
of advice to the effect that slogans
should be forgotten and Self-deception
put aside. "Let us deal with the realities
as they actually are" he said, mot as
they might have been and not as we
wish they we're. Re-unification, be-
lieve. viii someday be reality, +. But
we al know that police state regime
has been imposed on the eastern sector
of this city and this country. The peace
full Identification of Berlin and Germany
will, therefore, not be either quick or
easy"
We do not recall that any respon-
sible Westerner has said this before.
BUTT needed saying. First, because the
United States certainly is not going to
assist in anything except a peaceful
Identification" And, second, because
both the Germans and the Russians
should understand this.
This declaration may be used by
Charles de Gaulle to promote his effort
to drive a wedge between the United
States and Germany. II so, that cannot
be helped. There are those who insist
that Mr.. Kennedy must do something
to win over General de Gaulle, and we
wish they would specify what 1t is that
the President should do. For there Is a
saying that it takes two to tango, and
General de Ganlle is the solo tyne