Germany Had Talks On Bases In Britain

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29146, 5 March 1960, Page 13

Germany Had Talks On Bases In Britain

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright)

BONN, March 4.

Talks had been held about the possibility of West Germany setting up defence bases in Britain, the United States Ambassador in Bonn (Mr Walter Dowling) disclosed yesterday.

He said Washington fully recognised Dr. Strauss’ need to find more room for his supply bases either in North Atlantic Treaty countries or Spain.

In a speech yesterday, explaining his desire for supply and training bases outside Germany, the West German Defence Minister (Dr. Strauss) said that the only N.A.T.O. countries which came under consideration were Holland, Belgium, and France.

“Britain herself is not in the position to provide bases on English soil,” Dr. Strauss said. He said that talks on the subject of establishing bases behind the Pyrenees with the Spanish and Germans had had only an “exploratory character.” In an apparent reference to Western criticism of the Spanish bases idea, said to be his brainchild, Dr. Strauss commented: “I have ’ -come a professional target for attacks first from the East and now from the West.” Mr Dowling had earlier told the Foreign Press Association that he had spoken three times to Dr. Strauss on the question of setting up German supply bases in Spain. In his interview with the Foreign Press Association, Mr Dowling said he saw “no reason” why the United States should object to Germany’s bid for Spanish bases within the N.A.T.O. framework. He denied that the Spanish bases affair had damaged West German-United States relations. Mr Dowling pointed out that he was not the United States representative at the N.A.T.O. Council, “but I see no reason why we should object.” A correspondent asked what precisely was the agreement between the United States and West Germany on the bases issue and Mr Dowling replied: “We think this should have been discussed in the first instance in N.A.T.0.” Mr Dowling denied that there was suspicion between West Germany and the United States. “I hope that on neither side there has been suspicion or anything that could lead to deterioration of relations. Certainly that is true on the American side,” he said. In London, a usually wellinformed source said West Germany had made clear jn N.A.T.O. some time ago that it was interested in securing supply bases in Britain. Bu‘, the source said, British representatives had pointed out that Britain was a very crowded island. The British Foreign Office spokesman had no direct com-

ment on the statement by Mr Dowling that the possibility of establishing German supply bases in Britain had been discussed in N.A.T.O.

Questioned about Mr Dowling’s statement, he said: “The question of German supply bases has been raised in N.A.T.O. from time to time and many possibilities have been discussed.”