French Invitation To U.K. And Russia

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29220, 2 June 1960, Page 15

French Invitation To U.K. And Russia

(Rec. 11 p.m.) PARIS, June 1. President de Gaulle held out to Britain what observers regarded as an olive branch when he said last night that the Common Market community must be maintained but “without wounding other nations.”

In his first public pronouncement since the summit failure. President de Gaulle also made what was regarded as a clear invitation to Russia to return to Paris some time next year for a new effort to achieve understanding between herself and the Western nations.

Referring to the Common Market, formed by France, West Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg, he said that the market doubtlessly did not want to wound the other countries of Europe “and an accommodation of interests must be found.” He said an understanding must be reached between the whole of Europe so that “ceding to be cut in two by ambitions and ideologies becoming out of date, (it) would once again become the centre of civilisation.”

In the light of his speech, broadcast to the French nation, observers were wondering whether Britain now would feel inclined to accept the proposal, to be made at the present meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western .European Union, that Britain should join the Common Market’s atomic community—Euratom. President de Gaulle said cooperation between Russia and the Western Powers was as essential as ever.

France was prepared to pursue this path and he believed “systematic methods of diplomacy” were better than public exchanges of “tumultuous” speeches or passionate debates in the United Nations.

He said: “France must have her nuclear armament since others have theirs. Her means of defence and her territory must deoend solely on herself. “Her destiny, while being associated with her allies, must remain in her own hands.

“It goes without saying that this autonomy has as its corollary a closer concern- among the Western Powers as regards their

policy and their strategy.” President de Gaulle said three conditions were necessary to ward off the “monstrous peril” of a nuclear war. These were better East-West relations, a categoric measure of controlled disarmament. and the beginning of organised co-operation between East and West in the service of humanity.