ATLANTIC PACT CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26120, 24 May 1950, Page 7

ATLANTIC PACT CONFERENCE

“DECISIONS NEVER FACED” SCOTTISH NEWSPAPER’S COMMENT (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 23. “In spite of the heavy seriousness with which they phrased their messages to the world the impression remains that the delegates never laced the life and death decisions they should be taking,” says the diplomatic correspondent of the “Glasgow Herald” reviewing the Atlantic Treaty ■ conference.

“In no sphere does the conference appear to have dictated to anyone,” adds the correspondent, “and it has skilfully concealed the fact that when a 12-nation conference recommends something to each individual nation, it is, in effect, recommending it to itself. But there is no indication that the individual nation will do what its delegate at the conference recommended it should do.

“Delegates sounded an alarm, indeed, but it was a feeble call and it failed to reach many ears. It did in fact do little more than warn Moscow that if Russia intends to turn a challenge into a definite action she has not much more time to lose unless she believes that the effort now required of the West will never be made. “The trouble is that it is very questionable if governments are solidly behind their Foreign Ministers even in this modified effort. Certainly the people are not, nor can they be expected to be if they do not feel that their governments are in earnest. They see the United States Government being sniped at by radicals of both wings, they see a disunited government here with doctrinaires clinging to expenditure' which, far from strengthening the nation, weakens it. they see in France and Italy mass parties of subversion working freely and not unsuccessfully. “It never occurred to any of the delegates to expect a great welcome back from the people at home electrified by a clear policy and a frank relation offfhe situation. They did not believe that possible—did they not remember Munich?—so they took refuge in obscurity and a piano' call.”