Guarantee for Europe

Great Britain, long accused of retarding the birth of the European Army by its refusal to participate, gave the project a hearty boost last week. Whitehall announced that Britain would sign a treaty guaranteeing to provide "all the military and other aid and assistance in its power" to any of the six European Army nations if attacked by an enemy. The pact will make Britons and Germans formal allies for the first time since the Napoleonic era.

The move is chiefly psychological. Britain is already committed to the defense of the six nations under the North Atlantic Treaty and other partner agreements. Nevertheless, it should help soothe continental fears that Britain might hang back in case of trouble.

But the French are still not satisfied. Now they want both Britain and the U.S. to give firm guarantees that they will intervene if some day one of the European Army's members (i.e., Germany) should feel strong enough to pull out. This would in fact mean a new alliance-within-an-alliance aimed against one specific ally. The U.S. and Britain will not buy this irresponsible scheme, will merely issue a declaration to the effect that they hope everybody is going to stay in.

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