Grand Tour

The old world got ready for its first look at the new world's newest wonder, U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his glamorous wife. In Paris, Vienna and London, most were ready to cheer. Yet undeniably, the image projected by John Kennedy at his inauguration, when most of Europe viewed him as the bright new hope of earth, has dimmed a little.

Chilly Chancelleries. Partly, the change is the result of great expectations. Hugh Gaitskell, the first important Briton to meet with Kennedy after his election, virtually granted him honorary membership in Britain's Labor Party and returned to London predicting marvelous new things from the new broom in Washington. Visiting the White House in his turn, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan swiftly lost whatever misgivings he had had at parting from Old Friend Dwight Eisenhower and was reportedly convinced that Kennedy "possessed skills in abundance.'' France's lordly Charles de Gaulle hailed Kennedy as his "dear partner."

The Cuban disaster sent a chill through the chancelleries of Europe. A British official close to Macmillan observed that the fiasco in the Bay of Pigs "will incline us to take a second look at any proposal. One is inclined to wonder." In France, says a U.S. observer, the impact of Cuba was "catastrophic." Possibly because of their own impulsiveness, the French dread it in others. Paris gloomily noted Kennedy's original pledge to stay at home, to rely on normal diplomatic channels, and to enter on summit diplomacy only after careful preparation. They now fear that Kennedy may be embarking on an inadequately thought out, poorly prepared summit meeting, whose objectives are unclear and whose results will be meager. One top French official put it brutally: Kennedy's meeting with Khrushchev, he said, is like "fighting a championship bout after your last two sparring partners have knocked you out."

Wary Respect. But Kennedy's youthful vigor and far-ranging intelligence are clearly recognized and widely admired. Western Europeans, from the man in the street to the diplomat in the chancellery, support the truism that "a new man is entitled to a few mistakes." Much criticism is tempered by Kennedy's courageous willingness to shoulder the blame for errors committed.

Though everyone would be happier if the West held higher cards at the summit, no responsible Western observer fears that Kennedy will naively succumb to Russian threats or blandishments. Many fear that Khrushchev is feeling dangerously cocky these days; but there is confidence that in a face-to-face meeting, Kennedy will be able to demonstrate that U.S. nerve is still unshaken, despite Cuba and the disorderly retreat in Laos.

Toured Horizon. Kennedy's first stop is Paris where, in Charles de Gaulle, he will encounter a friend who may pose more difficult problems than most enemies. When De Gaulle was asked what he wished to discuss, he reportedly gave the grandiose reply: "Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America." The Paris talks will undoubtedly be a tour of the horizon. No settlement of differences can be expected because the time is too short and the divergence of views too great. What De Gaulle is essentially after is a greater voice for France in the top councils of the West.

Everything he asks is a variant on this single theme: 1) his proposal for a French-British-U.S. directorate of NATO; 2) his attempts to shape the European Common market into a French-dominated confederation; and 3) his insistence on developing his own nuclear bomb and defense forces--arguing that France cannot depend on anyone else, not even the U.S., to protect it in case of Soviet attack.

Conversation with De Gaulle is not easy. He asks for facts from his guests; when asked in return, he answers in apocalyptically vague prose. Eisenhower's sessions with De Gaulle, despite their common soldierly past, went stiffly and the silences were almost embarrassing.

Because he is a gentleman, De Gaulle will be polite. Because he is De Gaulle, he will be relentless in pressing his case. But De Gaulle, a man who has just suffered the humiliation of seeing some of his top generals in mutiny against him, was in no position to condescend, even if his young guest is little more than half his age.

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