LIMITED REARMAMENT OF WEST GERMANY BEING URGED

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 September 1950, Page 5

LIMITED REARMAMENT OF WEST GERMANY BEING URGED

Opinions Of United States High

Commissioner

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (Reed. 6 p.m.)—Mr. John J. McCloy, United States High Commissioner for Germany, urged President Truman today to support a limited rearmament of West Germany. He also proposed sending more •

American troops to Germany if they could be spared. Mr. McCloy said West Germany should be given a greater voice in the -conduct, of its foreign affairs, and the occupation laws should be revised to give Germans more freedom in several other fields, which he did not specify. The issues discussed by Mr. McCloy will be at the top of the agenda when the “Big Three” Foreign Ministers meet in New York on September 12. Diplomatic informants said another topic will be American concern over the slow pace of rearmament in Britain and France. Mr. McCloy told reporters that he agreed that an armed Germany might some day pose a threat to the United States forces, but said any major decision involved some risk. He said he was confident some plan would and could be found to enable West Germany to help defend herself without endangering Western security. Mr. McCloy added he might go sc far as to support the creation of some form of German Foreign Office.