N.A.T.O. Plans To Spend More

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31837, 15 November 1968, Page 11

N.A.T.O. Plans To Spend More

O'.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright > BRUSSELS, November 14. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defence ministers will today examine proposals for big increases in overall defence spending and making the alliance's defence capability more effective.

They open a three-day ministerial conference convened a month earlier than originally planned because of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. The defence ministers will map out nuclear and conventional military planning over; the next five years, reviewing I force goals and armaments i policies to ensure that the 15-nation defence alliance remains an effective shield. Informed sources said the defence ministers, with some finance ministers also participating, were expected to consider plans for a major increase in the financial contribution of some European Powers over the next two years. West Germany in particular, as the country whose frontiers form N.A.T.O.’s front line in Central Europe, has promised to play a full part in any N.A.T.O. decisions to step up the defence effort.

Plans are already being discussed in Bonn for making good the chronic shortage of thousands of non-com-missioned officers in the Bundeswehr, increasing the combat readiness of reservists by intensified training, and improving equipment. The West Germans are acutely conscious of the strategic changes wrought by the Czechoslovak crisis and look with concern at the presence of Soviet divisions close to the Czechoslovak frontier with Germany. Other factors behind plans' to improve N.A.T.O.’s mili- ■ tary capability are recent i Soviet statements claiming a! right to intervene in West : Germany, the harassments of ' West Berlin communications' and the Russian naval buildup in the Mediterranean. Another topic that is influencing the N.A.T.O. con-1 ference is the movement j building up in Western Eur-'

, ope to give the continent a I more coherent voice inside I the alliance.

Several European nations—notably Britain, Belgium and West Germany—believe that the European countries must be prepared to work more closely with one another specially in co-ordinating policies on arms procurement. Eight of them last night agreed in principle on these intensified co-ordinations on an informal basis. There were indications in Brussels yesterday that the new Administration of Presi-dent-elect Richard Nixon would try to improve co-oper-ation between Washington and its European partners in defence matters.