Germany Raises Problems for
Western Defense Strategists
ROAMING a diplomatic Val
halla somewhere are the
ghosts of statesmen who worked
in their time for a federated
Europe.
Through the centuries political
philosophers have sought the formula
for a workable and permanent Euro
pean union. One of the most success
ful experiments along these lines was
conducted by France's Aristide Briand,
Britain's Sir Austen Chamberlain and
Germany's Gustav Stresemann in the
five years following the Locarno Pact
of 1925.
These three men came close to cre
ating a united Europe based on a
genuine cooperatior among the great
powers. They represented a new era
in world politics.
The economic crisis of 1929, how
ever, set in motion those forces which,
ccupled with a passive League of Na
tions, wiped out the international
confidence of Locarno.
Old Issue Reappears
Today the old issue of a federated
Europe is back in the limelight How
to bring about a workable continental
association is one of the major proj
ects for western defense planners.
The motivation now is not so much
the desire for international under
standing which influenced Briand,
Chamberlain and Stresemann, as is
the necessity to fill the military vac
uum which exists on the borders of
the Iron Curtain.
The Schuman Plan and the Euro
pean army plan are big steps toward
realization of this 1952 version of a
federated Europe.
West Germany formally ratified the
Schuman Plan last week, agreeing to
share her coal and steel with five
other European nations for the next
80 years.
Top Problem
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, an
advocate of European union, called
for the ratification even while he de
clared many Germans doubted
whether France, one of the pool part
ners, seriously desires real partner
ship with West Germany.
This Franco-German mistrust is one
of the toughest problems for defense
planners in Europe. It centers on the
Saar. a coal-rich, 1,000 square-mile
territory linked economically to
France but claimed by the Germans.
Behind this squabble is the traditional
French apprehension over German
rearmament.
The French, and to a lesser extent
the British, fea that the U. S., in its
desire to balance Soviet military pow
ei in the East, is paving the way for
Germany tc achieve the hegemony on
the continent she failed to win in
World Wai IL
The restoration it Germany, poten
tially the most powerful country in
Europe, has been greatly encouraged
by the United States. Tl is country
has advocated a revival of Germany's
arms production in good faith, bal
ancing the risks of building up Ger
man industrial production against the
menace from the East.
Most observers concede that Amer
ica has gone about this policy with
eyes open, but that doesn't help allay
French and British concern over the
possible future course of German for
eign policy.
At the moment the West Germans
hold strong cards and the know it
Sidelights
In Philadelphia, servicemen were
polled at the downtown USO on what
they like best about recreational cen
ters. "Friendly atmosphere" ranked
first. Dancing finished second with
food third. Down in the number four
spot: Girls.
In Geneva, N. Y., 80-year-old
Clarence J. Estey painlessly cut a
wisdom tooth right alongside his com
plete set of false choppers.
In Chicago four German shepherd
dogs took over as night watchmen
after intensive training at a local
warehouse.
UN: Assembly Adjourned
TIRED United Nations delegates filed out of the Palais de Chaillot
in Paris this week. After three months of verbal maneuvering,
the sixth U.N. Assembly had come to an end.
Chief western delegates to the U.N. felt the firm alliance of the
western powers had held fast against $ .
the best efforts of Russia's Andrei
Vishinsky and his highly vocal part
ners to tear it down.
They pointed out that the Soviet
foreign minister failed in his deter
mined drive to condemn membership
in the North Atlantic Pact and was
not able to block a resolution forging
stronger bonds of collective security.
Important Achievements
The creation of a new disarmament
commission for a try at international
control of atomic energy and the ap
proval of a broader program for col
lective security whenevei aggression
occurs were perhaps the most impor
tant achievements of this assembly.
The Political Committee approved
the Russian motion to admit Italy.
Finland. Portugal, Ireland, Jordan,
Austria, Ceylon, "Nepal and Libya if
the western majority would approve
the application of Albania, Outer
Mongolia, Bulgaria. Romania and
Hungary The motion was defeated in
the full Assembly, however, when it
failed to get the required two-thirds
vote.
This marked' the first time the
United States had been defeated in
the Political Committee on an impor
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They are aware of their military and
economic importance to western de
fense: They say that if West German
soldiers are . to serve with the West,
they must do so as equals. In addi
tion. West Germany has demanded a
place in the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization,
The West Germans have also been
cagey on the subject of defense con
tributions. It is generally known that
the Allied high commissioners in
Germany think that country should
spend about $3,200,000,000 for defense.
So far the Germans have offered a
maximum of only $2,300,000,000.
In the Bonn debate on German re
armament, 402 West German deputies
argued this week whether to join the
western defense system or remain
aloof from plans to ward off possible
Soviet aggression.
The Big Three western allies were
ready to serve an ultimatum on West
Germany demanding that she get on
with the plan for German participa
tion in western defense.
The French say a rearmed Germany
must be bound by international po
litical control that would make impos
sible a new German march westward.
That means that Germany could have
armed forces but only as units in the
European army.
Western diplomats view the Ger
man demands as outward signs of dis
pleasure over the recent French ap
pointment of an ambassador to the
Saar.
The West Germans are incensed
over what they call the appointment
of an "ambassador to a part of Ger
many.' Quotes
Rear Adm. Alan G. Kirk, re
tiring U. S. Ambassador to Mos
cow in commenting on a state
ment by Russia's Jacob Malik
that World War III already is
under way: "What the Russians
say is not always to be taken at
full value."
Sen. Robert A. Taft, Republi
can presidential aspirant in an
swer to a reporter's question
whether he would support Gen.
Eiserfhower if the latter should
gain the GOP nomination: "I
certainly would, I certainly
would. I might ask if you know
whether he would support me."
tant issue. The implication was that
the U. S. will have to work harder
in future assemblies to hold its ma
jorities on some issues.
Arab Bloc Abstains
The Asian-Arab group in the As
sembly generally abstained on all
issues involving the big power fights
instead of going along with the United
States.
At the beginning of the Assembly
session, the U. S. and other western
powers seized the initiative on the
issue of disarmament. They produced
proposals for a census of world arma
ments, including atomic weapons,
with full inspection and verification
of such a count.
These proposals brought only scorn
ful laughter from Andrei Vishinsky
at first. When the reaction of the
other delegates went against him, his
laughter quickly died.
Vishinsky . fought in vain to bring
up the Korean-issue for consideration.
The "western powers won overwhelm
ing approval for ' plan postponing
U.N. debate on Korean political issues
until after a military armistice is
signed. --;-.
SCHUMAN PLAN NATIONS
WHICH WILL FOPM TUP
EUROPEAN ARMY
The foreign ministers of France,
Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxem
bourg had hoped to complete a draft
treaty for the European army last
week. The German demands threw
these plans out of gear.
The forthcoming Nato conference,
set for Feb. 16 in Lisbon, was intended
to be a big ratification meeting.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minis
ter Robert Schuman, author of the
Schuman Plan, is scheduled to meet
with British Foreign Secretary An
thony Eden and U. S. Secretary of
State Dean Acheson in London Feb.
13 and 14. Up for discussion will be
the German problem and what to do
about it
Solution Possible
Basically, France and Britain want
to see more western strength expect
able by the end of the year before
putting Germany in marching order.
The two countries also feel Germany
must show she shares the West's ob
jectives before she is admitted to
Nato.
U. S. State Department officials
point to German ratification of the
Schuman Plan as proof that problems
like the dispute over the Saar can be
settled on a broad international plane.
The whole program for European
union must be worked out against
the backdrop of French and British
concern over long-range results of a
revival of the industrial colossus that
is Germany.
Britain
The King Is Dead
For the first time since the days
of Queen Victoria, Great Britain has
a female ruler.
At 25, Queen Elizabeth has suc
ceeded her father, King George VL
who died quietly in his sleep at his
country residence in Sandringham this
week.
For the first time in history, a
sovereign acceded to Britain's throne
while abroad in the Commonwealth.
The new Queen Elizabeth received
word of her father's death while on
a royal tour in Kenya Colony, Africa.
She thus became queen and ruler of
millions of British subjects around
the world.
The quiet family man who put
royal duty above personal pleasure
quickly endeared himself to his mil
lions of subjects.
The monarch led Britain through
her worst ordeal when the island
kingdom faced victory-flushed Ger
man armies alone. His words of com
fort, his prayers, his encouragement
helped Britons meet and turn back
the foe's blitzkreig. With his prime
minister, Winston Churchill, King
George VI will be long remembered
for his part in "Britain's Finest Hour.
Though the days of his reign saw
the empire shrink greatly, George
VI and his family vastly increased
the love and respect in which the
royal institution was held.
In Short
Issued: an order by the Office of
Defense Mobilization aimed at easing
serious unemployment in some sec
tions of the country by telling the
men who let defense contracts for the
Army, Navy and Air Force to put
new business into unemployment
aieas on a negotiated contract basis
rather than on the basis of the lower
bidder.
Accepted: by President Truman,
the resignation of Michael V. DiSalle
as Federal price boss. DiSalle will run
for the U. S. Senate in Ohio.
Studied: by the United States, the
question of whether to close all
American - embassies in Russian orbit
countries. A decision is expected one
way or the other by next month when
a meeting of U. S. ambassadors to
Iron Curtain countries is scheduled
in Paris.
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KOREA: Optimism and Cynicism
AT THE Allied camp at Mun
san this week there was both
optimism and cynicism.
Some., quarters felt an early
settlement in the Korean truce
negotiations could be reached.
Others described the see-saw Com
munist truce tactics as "operation
quagmire."
Brig. Gen. William P. Nuckols, offi
cial United Nations spokesman,
summed it up this way: "There is less
cause for pessimism."
Full-Dress Meeting
A full-dress meeting of the main
armistice delegations was held this
week for the first time since Dec. 4.
It started the ball rolling on agenda
item five recommendations to the
governments concerned for final set
tlement of the Korean problem.
The Communists proposed a high
level political conference within 90
days after a Korean armistice to ne
gotiate withdrawal of foreign troops,
settle the Korean problem and resolve
related issues in the Orient.
The Red agreement to consider this
final item was taken by some as a
sign that the Communists have hopes
of an armistice eventually.
POW Exchange Issue
Rear Adm. R. E. Libby, handling
the prisoner exchange issue for the
U.N., said:
"For the first time I think we are
in a position to settle the nuts and
bolts of this situation. I think we can
write the rest of the agreement."
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BEFORE DEATH STRUCK King George VI with Princess Margaret
and Queen Elizabeth less than a week before his death.
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HIDDEN ARMS are uncovered by French Foreign Legion parachute
troops in Tunisian nationalist center.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY In current Indian elections Is discussed
by Premier Nehru and President Prasad.
I: I L F
U.N. PRISONERS OF
. w arm in a position
These developments came out of
one session on prisoner exchange this
week:
1. The Allies agreed to drop de
mands for the neutral Swiss Interna-
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WAR IN KOREA
to settle this situation."
tional Committee of the Red Cross to
handle the prisoner exchange. In
stead, national Red Cross teams from
Allied countries would work jointly
with national Red Cross representa
tives from Red China and Red Korea.
2. The Communists clarified their
stand on paroles. They said an oath
by returned POW'S would require
only that prisoners refrain from par
ticipation in the Korean War, instead
of all "acts of war."
3. The Communists agreed to re
turn U.N. military prisoners about
11.500 men within 30 days after an
armistice. The Allies said they would
try to return Red captives 132,000 if
all are willing within 60 days but
wanted 90 days written into the agree
ment to be sure of meeting the dead
line. Official Caution
In Tokyo meanwhile The U.N.
Command cautioned against expect
ing a quick agreement
The Reds still objected to minimum
safeguards that would guarantee the
return of displaced persons after an
armistice. They still refused the idea
of voluntary repatriation and they
still insisted on the right to build
fighter and bomber bases during the
armistice period.
CONGRESS: Testimony Time
STEAKS, shipped special from St. Joseph. Mo., provided l a
breathing spell for a group of Democratic lawmakers and the
President of the United States this week. r
Mr. Truman and 14 others, including House Speaker Sam Ray
burn, met in a private dining room in the Capitol for their annual
steak dinner.
Other action in the Capitol included
closed-door testimony by Secretary of
State Dean Acheson in connection
with the payment of $120,000 for-" the
release of the U S. fliers imprisoned
recently in Hungary: testimony by
Secretary of Defense Robert A. Lovett
on the armed services money bill;
Senate argument on statehood for
Alaska and Hawaii; a House vote on
phases of the Universal Military
Training bill and a flurry on the anti
corruption front.
Katjn Forest Inquiry
A special Congressional inquiry into
the Katyn Forest massacre in World
War II was highlighted by the testi
mony of Col. John H. Van Vliet who
said that as a prisoner of war in Ger
many he was taken under guard to
the Katyn Forest in May. 1943, to
"inspect" the massacre scene.
Van Vliet said he was convinced at
first that the Germans had done the
job. but reached the conclusion later
that the Russians were responsible.
He changed his mind after noticing
that the uniforms and boots on most
of the bodies were new and showed
few signs of wear.
Van Vliet said his own experience
in prison camp had taught him that
clothing and shoes of live prisoners
wore out rapidly -and were slow to
be replaced That convinced him. he
said, that the Poles had been mur
dered shortly after the Russians took
them prisoner in 1940. rather than
after the Germans overrtn the Katyn
Forest in western Russia three years
later.
Dates
Tuesday, February 12
Birthday of Abraham Lincoln.
National Conference on Labor
Relations opens in Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, February IS
Big Three foreign ministers
meet in London.
Gracie Fields to wed Boris
Alberovich, a radio repairman, on
Isle of Capri.
Thursday, February 14
St Valentine's Day.
Saturday, February 16
North Atlantic Treaty Organi
zation Council meets in Lisbon,
Portugal.
Campaign,
stirring
THE nation's political activity .
this week ran the gamut from
box-supper rallies to bronc-riding ',
drum majorettes. it
Sandwiched in between was
President Truman's decision to let
his name remain on the ballot in th '
New Hampshire primary as a candi
date for the Democratic presidential
nomination. ,
It was, in fact, getting to look mor
and more like a bang-up campaign
year.
Test of Strength i;
Mr. Truman's decision to stay in the
New Hampshire primary will afford
something of a test between the Presi- "
dent and Sen. Estes KefauveT, who is
also entered in the primary.
Republicans held a giant rally and
box supper in Washington's George
town University gymnasium ostensi
bly to herald the forthcoming anni
versary of Abraham Lincoln's birth
day. Actually, the affair ;." in th
Georgetown gym was a good old
fashioned political tub-thumping ses
sion with plenty of speech-maxing.
Stassen in Obi
In Columbus, O, meanwhile, Re
publican presidential aspirant Harold
E Stassen announced plans for? an
an ti -organization campaign' in Sea.
Robert A. Taft's home state for dele
gates to the Republican presidential
nominating convention in Chicago
next July.
Stassen asserted he had high regard
for Taft and said he would refrain
from making personal attacks on th
Ohioan during the campaign.
Another GOP rally, this one in New
York City, was held this week.;Itj
purpose was to boost Gen. Dwight Dl
Eisenhower. In the audience was a
special delegation of 200 Texans front
11 cities including a 45-piece cowboy
band and four drum majorettes with
hcrses.
On the Democratic side. Sen. Estes -Kefauver
widened his bid for th
Democratic presidential nomination to
a six-state campaign with the an
nouncement that he will enter tho
Massachusetts primary on April 1 1.
Bay state supporters promptly
hailed him as a "'wonderful man."
The President meanwhile said he
expects to do a lot of campaigning
this year to get the "truth" before the
voters. He wants to combat what he
predicts will be a campaign of "dis
tortion" by a well-heeled GOP. ;
Middle East
Conciliatory Moves
The Middle East, which has been in
a state of static crisis for more than
six months, simmered down to the
talking point this week.
In Cairo, Premier Aly Maher Pasha
declared his purpose was to create a
".healthy atmosphere" in order to
reach a better understanding with the
powers of the free world.
As Egypt, scene of recent bloody
riots, gradually returned to normal,
leading newspapers throughout the
kingdom were filled with speculation
on the future course of British
Egyptian negotiations. J
Middle East Defense . 1
From the beginning, od servers as
sumed that any lesumption of nego
tiations was certain to lead right back:
to the proposal for a Middle Cast De
fense Command, the regional pact or
ganization which would take over
Britain's guard duties on the Suez
Canal.
The Egyptians rejected the Middle
East Defense Command idea pro
posed by the United States, Britain,
France and Turkey at about the
same time they scrapped the 1925
treaty with Britain last October and
demanded that British troops get out
of the Suez.
The British made it clear they could
not abandon the strategic Suez at the
start of the dispute. Foreign Secretary
Eden offered, however, to revise the
1936 treaty to meet some of Egypt's
objectives-
Logical SelaUoa Possible
As for the Sudan, the second prin
cipal source of trouble for the British
and Egyptians. Britain announced a
plan for allowing the Sudenese peo
ple to decide between Egyptian rule
or independence. ,
An Egyptian decision to join the
Middle East Defense Command of
fered a possible solution to the Suez
dispute. British troop in the Canal
Zone, would be reduced in number
under the proposed plan, and would
become a part of an international
force which would include Egyptians.
'The proposal of King Farouk as
Middle East commander - in chiefs
binted at in a London newspaper, of
fered still another way to- assuage
Egyptian nationalist sentiment. : r
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