Fear

The news that the U.S. was building a hydrogen bomb, together with Dean Acheson's opinion that it was no longer any use to seek agreement with Russia on atomic energy control (see NATIONAL AFFAIRS), caused some people to look for a convenient hole to creep into. France, the U.S.'s principal ally on the Continent, seemed to be looking hardest of all.

Despite the North Atlantic Treaty and the Military Assistance Program in which the U.S. committed itself to the defense of Western Europe, Le Monde, an influential anti-Communist newspaper, last week proposed the "military neutralization of Europe." The Americans just did not care if Europe's cities were to be atom-bombed to radioactive dust, whined Le Monde. "Over there, there has always been a temptation to sacrifice Europe in case of conflict . . . The American attitude is logical: one promises Europe final victory, one is not committed to sparing it blows . . . Would not the wisest policy be to leave Western Europe a certain autonomy, which would reduce its chances of being drawn into the fight?" Next day, Le Monde began a series on the weakness of the French army.

The anti-Communist Socialist paper Le Populaire joined by referring to the head-knocking over Berlin, the deadlock on

Austria, the new threat to Southeast Asia as "local conflicts" with Russia, which should not provoke "a general policy of indignation." The usually vigorous anti-Communist Paris-Presse followed the line of Le Monde, asking if "prudence did not suggest playing both the card of military security with the U.S. and the card of neutrality (hypothetical) in the case of a conflict."

U.S. military men, never very confident that U.S. arms aid would do much military good in France, read & wept.

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