MR DULLES’S SPEECH

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27224, 16 December 1953, Page 11

MR DULLES’S SPEECH

Ratification Of E.D.C. Urged

PARIS, December 14. The United States Secretary of State (Mr John Foster Dulles) told the Atlantic Council today that if the European Army was not brought into being the United States would be forced to make an “agonising reappraisal of its basic policies.”

On the other hand, he said, America would be maintaining the military support of Europe once the European Army was formed. Mr Dulles, in an important statement on American policy in Europe, appealed for the early realisation of political, economic and military unity in Europe, particularly the ratification of the European Defence Community, which would include German divisions.

Mr Dulles did not try to set a deadline for ratification, but he said he hoped the difficulties now in the way would be cleared as quickly as possible. He gave a long review of the Russian position, and said it was clear the Soviet Union was today faced with many serious internal problems. The over-all Soviet threat was still the same today, and the West must not let up in its defence measures. There was always the danger that the West coalition might relax and lose its cohesion if peril ceased to seem imminent, said Mr Dulles. Soviet Hopes

That was what the Soviet leaders said they hoped would happen. They openly proclaimed their intention to promote Western disunity by all the means at their command. “In the Russian view the basic historical forces are working for them.” he said. “They forecast that the Westera scene will soon again be dominated by its traditional strife. Then wid come what Lenin and Stalin have defined as the moment for a decisive blow. That should warn us, but do we really need that warning from that source?”

After reviewing the economic, political and intellectual progress made by the West, Mr Dulles said: “How comes it that civilisation, which has so broadly advanced human welfare, can now be seriously challenged by those who, beneath the veneer of sanctimonious theory, reproduce the degradation and exploitation of the dark ages?

“The answer is that the nations which have long led the West have so repeatedly fought each other that they have sapped their own vitality and diminished authority and prestige in the world.

“If the West cannot build a safer home for its civilisation, then its statesmanship will be judged bankrupt and men everywhere will look elsewhere lor leadership.” Mr Dulles said the failure of West Europe to achieve unity would compel the United States to reconsider its policy. ‘‘lf West Europe is tp develop political, economic and military unity, which includes France and Germany, that must happen soon. Powerful forces are now at work to draw together the six nations of the community and Britain and the United States stand ready to supply their firm support. But unless unity is achieved soon, different and decisive forces may take command. These separatist forces will also be found in the United States. ‘lt may never again be possible for integration to occur in freedom, although it might be that West Europe would be unified, as East Europe has been unified, in defeat and servitude.” Mr Dulles said: ‘‘Some profess the fear that if the European Defence Community is established, the United States would abandon the military support of Europe. That is a baseless fear.”

Later, Mr Dulles said: “The E.D.C. •reaty, despite possible inadequacies, decisively poses a fateful choice. The United States and I believe all the world will see it as a symbol of the European will to make it possible to achieve the common goal of safeguarding our common heritage and the civilisation of our peoples.”