Small Progress

Week after week one question stands at the top of the nation's agenda: Is the U.S. finding a way to deal with the Communist advance? Last week brought some progress--but not much.

After shooting down two Chinese Communist fighter planes, the U.S. naval force in the South China Sea was ordered to give up its search for survivors of the British airliner destroyed by the Reds. In Britain and France the downing of the Red planes brought reactions unfavorable to the U.S., but in Asia it went a small way to retrieve the loss of face that the U.S. suffered from the Geneva agreement on Indo-China.

A more significant move was the U.S. Senate's passage by a vote of 88 to 0 of a resolution favoring full sovereignty for Germany unless France acts soon on EDC.

The defense of Europe has always been generally linked to Asia, but as a result of Geneva a new and dangerous specific dependence is established. Premier Mendes-France has placed his political future at the mercy of the Communists, who can destroy him at any time by resuming hostilities in Indo-China. If he makes an effort to get EDC ratified, the Red high command can pull the rug out from under him.

The U.S. Senate action is a reminder to France and Mendes-France that the U.S. can take measures for the defense of Europe that are much less palatable to the French than EDC. The U.S. cannot allow the Communists Asian leverage to be used to disarm Europe.

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