Closing a NATO Gap

In Yugoslavia's picture-postcard resort of Bled, in a villa once built for the royal family of Yugoslavia, Communist Tito last week signed a 20-year "treaty of alliance, political cooperation and mutual assistance" with Greece and Turkey. Just six years ago, Tito's Yugoslavia was arming Red guerrillas fighting in Greece; a generation ago, Greeks and Turks were deep in a bloody war with one another. The new alliance joined together three nations with more than a million soldiers under arms: Turkey, 450,000; Yugoslavia, up to 600,000; Greece, 125,000.

Actually, the pact is not as toothy as once intended. Originally, Greece and Turkey would have had to go automatically to Yugoslavia's aid; once involved, they could have demanded assistance from their NATO partners (including the U.S.). But Tito, who is not in NATO, would not have been committed to help Greece and Turkey if they became involved in NATO action away from home. So NATO itself objected. As one official put it, "Marshal Tito is trying to buy a dollar's worth of NATO protection for 50 cents." After much rewording, the pact now calls for all three members to meet and discuss effective means of rendering assistance in the event of an attack on one. In practice, Greece and Turkey will consult NATO before helping Yugoslavia; Tito will consult with them if they get involved in NATO commitments away from home.

Behind the haggle over details, however, is the common conviction that in case of real trouble, all are in it together. Thus the new Balkan pact, in effect, closes the last gap in NATO's ring around Europe, which begins in Iceland and extends to Mount Ararat. So happy did Tito feel about the whole thing that at the party after the signing, he passed word around that he meant to celebrate until the small hours; anyone who was sleepy should forget about protocol and leave ahead of him.

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