In Moscow last week, Nikita Khrushchev not only waved his 50-megaton bomb and derided capitalism; he also crowed about "disunity" among the Western Allies. "Major contradictions divide the U.S.A. and Britain and other imperialist states," he said. "They appear both in NATO and in other aggressive blocs."
Khrushchev had a point—of sorts. There are indeed differences among the U.S., Britain, France and West Germany. They have been there for years, ruffling the sensitivities of statesmen and furnishing fodder for cartoonists. In the past they have concerned contributions to NATO, or arguments over colonialism or summitry or economic cooperation. But the alliance has stood for quite a while, and it remains steadfast. Today, the differences center on the problem of Germany and negotiations over Berlin.
As of last week, the positions of the Allies were about as follows:
∙WEST GERMANY. Of all the Allies. West Germany has the most vital interests at stake—and Bonn is fearful that Britain and the U.S. are too eager to enter into East-West negotiations that might end with the West trading away basic German rights. While he does not rule out the possibility of negotiations. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer is far from eager for them to begin. Adenauer is determined not to accept any settlement that might shatter Germany's hopes for eventual reunification. He hopes to visit President Kennedy in Washington as soon as his Cabinet crisis is resolved. Meanwhile, last week he sent Ambassador Wilhelm Grewe to Washington with orders to pass on some of the specifics of the German stand. Items: Bonn cannot extend de facto recognition to East Germany, although it is willing, under certain conditions, to talk to East Germany about arrangements for an all-German election. West Germany cannot accept any formalization of the Oder-Neisse line between East Germany and Poland, any project for disengagement in Central Europe, any plan for Germany as a non-nuclear zone.
∙FRANCE. President de Gaulle stands with Adenauer in his reluctance to rush into negotiations. Last week he ordered the withdrawal of France from a planned London meeting of Allied representatives to discuss Germany's future; his decision caused the cancellation of the sessions. De Gaulle feels strongly that the West must not allow itself to be threatened into negotiations by Khrushchev. De Gaulle himself has long ago conceded the Oder-Neisse line, and France at best pays only lip service to German reunification. De Gaulle's emphasis is on the maintenance of present Allied rights in West Germany and Berlin. He stands staunch against any sort of disengagement in Central Europe. against German troop limitations, and recognition of East Germany.