"The Incident Is Closed"

In undramatic officialese, General Alfred Gruenther's NATO headquarters last week published a statement that had concealed drama in it: "The North Atlantic Treaty Council-passed a resolution condemning the public utterances of Marshal Juin on the European Defense Community, which were contrary to the views often expressed by the NATO council. This resolution was conveyed to Marshal Juin and later published. Having received [it], the Marshal has remained at his post. This means he will hereafter do nothing which is contrary to NATO policy or wishes. The NATO Council therefore considers the incident is closed."

Marshal Alphonse Juin, 66, France's No. 1 soldier, had provoked the "incident" when he publicly and stridently criticized EDC, then refused several summonses from Premier Laniel to come and explain (TIME, April 12). Laniel's Cabinet relieved Juin of his posts in French army councils, but kept him on the job as NATO's Central European commander, leaving further action to NATO itself. Marshal Juin told General Gruenther that as a French citizen he had previously felt free to speak out, but that, henceforth, as an internationalized soldier he would mind his tongue. After some ruffled NATO members, notably The Netherlands and Belgium, had been soothed, it was decided to keep Juin on.

Some Paris cynics described this as a "deal among cronies" or as a compromise, half to save Juin's face, half to save the French government's face. The proud, peppery Marshal is expected to resign from NATO before year's end.

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