The Press FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1954. European Defence Community

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27397, 9 July 1954, Page 10

The Press FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1954. European Defence Community

The German Chancellor (Dr. has been very patient ! for the two years that French j Governments and the French Parlliament have backed and filled on (the issue of the European Defence I Community. He may not be able to ’maintain this attitude much longer, however admirable his personal wish to do nothing that might im;pair the conception of a united Europe. Although he won a resounding election victory last year for his policy of seeking friends in the West, there are indications of growing opposition to this policy in influential quarters in Germany. The argument, bluntly, is that, if the West does not want Germany, ’Russia does. Two Chancellors of the old Weimar Republic, Dr. ißruening and Dr. Wirth, are among those championing a return to the “ neutralism ” of the twenties and an association with Russia like that of the Treaty of Rapallo. If Dr. Adenauer is to keep Germany on the present course he will have to establish its advantages. The United Kingdom and the United States have also recently urged France to make up her mind quickly. The whole idea of European unity, of which E.D.C. has become the symbol, originated in France; and France now has its fate in her hands.

The admission of Germany as a member of the European community in some form can hardly be abandoned now without serious results for the West, even if the North Atlantic Powers were prespared to forgo the great military advantages of having German forces sharing in the defence of Western Europ< " might be argued that the prc.jsal to enlist German help was wrong in the first place; but it has gone too far for, any easy retreat. German staff officers have assembled in their new Defence Ministry, and German officials have drawn up their plans for munitions production. As the “ Manchester “ Guardian ” has pointed out, the staff officers could not be ejected and the production plans could not be scrapped by any conceivable German Government. These actions could be taken by the British and American armies, but only at the cost of wrecking democracy in Western Germany. The obvious alternative to the E.D.C. is the admission of Germany direct to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation., which would probably be even less acceptable to the French because it would weaken the allied control over German forces. German rearmament on this basis would certainly add to the risk that German troops would go to the help of their brothers if there was rioting in the eastern zone comparable with the rioting of last year. Suggestions that the E.D.C. should be established without France, possibly with Britain instead, are unreal. French spirit is essential to give life to the E.D.C., and a united Europe without France at its heart is unthinkable. It is the misfortune of France, and of the new Prime Minister (Mr Mendes-France), that the E.D.C. crisis comes at the same time as crisis and defeat in Indo-China, making it more difficult for them to perform the act of faith in Europe and in the ideal of European unity that “The Times” has asked for; It may, however, appear to Mr Mendes-France that there is no coincidence about these crises—-that weakness in Asia, was, in part at least, the result of weakness in Europe. If he can convince the French Chamber of this he will do something towards restoring the greatness of France.