EUROPEAN UNITY AND LEADERSHIP

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 13

EUROPEAN UNITY AND LEADERSHIP

Adenauer, De Gaulle Hold Secret Talks

(N.Z. Preu Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) PARIS, July 29. President de Gaulle and the German Chancellor, Dr. Adenauer, today start a week-end of top-secret talks near Paris aimed at pulling Europe closer together in the face of increasing world tensions.

There is no official information about the subject of the talks, but General de Gaulle is believed to be worried about the “political vacuum” in the Western world at a time when Moscow is launching a diplomatic offensive all over the world. In part, at least, this vacuum is due to America's preoccupation with' the Presidential elections.

Dr. Adenauer is believed to share General de Gaulle’s concern to a certain extent. Part of the week-end meeting is to be dedicated to a general review of the world situation. Political correspondents say the meeting will probably result in France and Germany sponsoring a plan for an integrated European policy in world affairs. They say General de Gaulle hopes to draw the Continental countries together to co-operate more closely. The meeting could be followed by a general conference of leaders from other Continental nations.

The “News Chronicle’s” Paris correspondent says General de Gaulle is believed to be concerned about the failure of Wesetern leadership and he feels Europe should be ready to provide its own leadership. One reason for the hastilycalled meeting is the fear Russia may make a sudden threatening move against Berlin. The French regard a firm stand in Berlin as vital to their own security. They feel that a convincing demonstration of European unity and particularly •of Paris-Bonn unity might be a salutary caution to Moscow.

Prominent on the talks agenda will be the possibility of bridging the gap between the six Common Market countries and the Outer Seven led by Britain. Dr. Adenauer is anxious to avoid a commercial war between the two groups. The New York “Herald-Tri-

bune’s” Bonn correspondent says General de Gaulle's reported new idea—the creation of an intergovernmental body to co-ordinate the foreign policies of the six Common Market nations—falls considerably short of Dr. Adenauer’s cherished aim of merging the group of nations into a United States of Western Europe. Dr. Adenauer is deeply con-

cerned over the possibility that Mr Khrushchev might choose the United States election campaign as the moment for a new move against th» West somewhere in the world. His fear is that the United States might be distracted by the elections and that Mr Khrushchev might be able to exploit the situation.