U.S. Will Not Try To Punish De Gaulle

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30045, 1 February 1963, Page 9

U.S. Will Not Try To Punish De Gaulle

(NZ. Preu Association— Copyright)

WASHINGTON, February 31.

The United States was quietly warning the European Allies that they might force a reappraisal of the United States role. in Europe’s defence if they permitted General de Gaulle to seize leadership, the Associated Press said. High American authorities believed General de Gaulle might try to follow up his Common Market victory over Britain by launching a drive to break down close ties between the United States and the European Allies, the Associated Press said.

However, the “New York Times” news service said the Administration had put aside all thought of punishing General de Gaulle for barring Britain from the Common Market.

Washington officials said they had found no way of retaliating without taking steps that would reduce the United States’ military and economic involvement in Europe. Such steps would injure the entire Western alliance and fulfil General de Gaulle’s prophecy of Washington’s unreliability, the “New York Times” said.

Therefore. the United States continued to insist that history would work against the general's ambitions to lead an increasingly idepend. ent Europe. Washington’s policy as well as propaganda would be that Western defences were ‘indivisible,”

Accordingly there Vfas no thought in Washington now of withdrawing American troops from the Continent by way of letting General de Gaulle "go it alone.” Even some direct military and

technical assistance to France was likely to be continued. According to the “New York Times” American officials do not deny that they will try to employ economic pressure against General de Gaulle to force him to reconsider the British application for membership in the European Common. Market.

Burt reviews of the power situation within the Western alliance suggested that Washington had relatively little limited power over France alone.

“Washington is bitter because it believes General de Gaulle's wish for independence from Britain and the United States is possible only because he is assured of protection behind the American nuclear shield.” the report said. “Burt its long-range response will be to increase the interdependence of all the Atlantic allies rather ■than to threaten angry withdrawal at this stage.” This was the theme of the first formal United States reaction to the collapse of the Brussels negotiations for Britain’s entry into the Com. mon Market.

A State Department declaration yesterday expressed

confidence that "most Europeans” shared Washington’s recognition of the need for greater unity, Farther than more independence.

The statement said in part: “The United States considers the breakdown in the negotiations for British membership in the European Economic Community as most unfortunate. “We do not believe however, that the present difficulties can do more than delay the movement towards a strong and united Europe working in effective partnership with the United States for the solution of mutual problems.”