"All Too True"

At long last, the attention of the Western powers was centered on Germany. Washington last week was pervaded by an urgent conviction that the disagreements between Britain, France and the U.S. which have stymied and confused Western policy in Germany must be resolved. One high U.S. official read the report of Emmet Hughes, TIME'S Berlin Bureau Chief, on the state of Germany (TIME, April 4), and commented: "It's all too true."

Secretary of State Dean Acheson conferred on Germany with both France's Foreign Minister Robert Schuman and Britain's Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin. Some progress toward agreement was reported, especially in the talks with Schuman, who has consistently taken a more reasonable view than French officials in Germany. The main question under discussion with the French is their insistence on breaking Germany up into small semi-autonomous governmental units.

The outstanding German policy issues are: 1) the constitution for a West German government; 2) the relationship of Britain, France and the U.S. in Germany and the occupation statute which would govern their joint relationship with the West German government.

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