Two-in-One Oil

The policymakers of NATO agreed last week on a special formula for ending two years of Anglo-American friction over command of NATO forces in the vital Mediterranean area. The solution was a kind of two-in-one oil: Britain and the U.S. will share joint command in the area, subject to the higher authority of NATO's Supreme Commander Matthew B. Ridgway.

The U.S. keeps command of its own Sixth Fleet (largest in the area) under Admiral Robert B. ("Mick") Carney, with responsibility for delivering the atomic bomb and supporting land operations. Britain keeps command of its own Mediterranean fleet plus the French and Italian naval forces assigned to NATO.

Holding up Britain's end will be able, handsome Vice Admiral Louis Mountbatten, uncle of the Duke of Edinburgh. He and Carney will be of equal standing under Ridgway, and in time of war will "coordinate." What did the word mean? reporters asked. "Coordinate," explained NATO Secretary General Lord Ismay of Britain, "is fixing it with the other chap."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.