NATO: Cutback

It was at one of those London dinners where white ties and tails and decorations are worn. The honored guest, NATO's new Supreme Commander. U.S. Air Force General Lauris Norstad, heard himself felicitously toasted but also told in plain language by Britain's Prime Minister Harold Macmillan: "Insurance is a fine thing, but overinsurance can be debilitating . . . What the balance should be, under our democratic society, is a matter for statesmen responsible to their Parliaments and their people."

With this warning that they were not to be dissuaded, the British last...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!