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leaqership, and not only t hat,
people seem to be content with it.
All
of this is 6ound to be quite dis–
couraging to those whose goal is a
uníted Europe.
Q .
Isn' t this lack of central lead–
ership or authority tbe very thing
tha t frustrates the Americans so
mucb
in
their dealings witb the Com–
mon Market?
SCHAETZEL:
That's right, and many
of the things said not only by this
administration but by previous ad–
ministrations express a desire for a
partner with whom the United
States can deal on a more or less
equal plane. Yet because of the
stage of the Community's political
and economic development, there
simply isn' t such an organization or
individual. There is no single person
with whom one can deal, no person
who can speak with the same au–
thority as the President of the
United States. This understandably
creates irritation and frustration,
rather than encouraging American
patience. Europeans are equally
frustrated about this situation, but
they know there are very real limits
on what they can do.
The Fre nch Express
Europe an Attitude s
Q .
l've been amazed at sorne of the
blunt statements in the French press
PLAIN TRUTH October 1973
regarding the whole gamut of U. S.–
Common Market problems.
1
don' t
sense tbe same degree of outspoken–
ness
in
the West German or even
British press, althougb the latter has
been very critical of Mr. Nixon dur–
ing the Waterga te affair.
SCHAETZEL:
Unfort unately, it is all
too true. France is a most difficult
partner, both for the Europeans and
across the Atlantic.
It
is ubiquitous
in its resistance to efforts to improve
Atlantic relations. A good French
friend was telling me in París last
month, "You know, we are a suspi–
cious people. We' re even suspicious
about one another, so therefore you
have to take into account that any–
thing we say stems from this par–
ticular national quality."
The French are also highly self–
contident, and they are anxious,
given their history and the nourish–
ment of ego they got from De
Gaulle, to assert themselves both
among the Europeans and on the
international level. So all these fac–
tors come together to make the
French the principal problem within
Europe, and I think between Eu–
rope and the United States. 1 say
p rincipal because they are not
alone. Many of the things they say,
they just happen to say more openly
and more offensively than the
others. The French are expressing,
in cer tain cases quite crudely,
strongly held European attitudes.
Q.
The French editor of a European
business magazine recently stated
tbat the French often say out loud
what ot hers are thinking, but a re
afr a id to say.
SCHAETZEL:
That is correct. On the
other hand, there is something
which is really peculiarly French
and much less understandable.
For a country which prides itself
on logic, 1 aro staggered by things so
inherently illogical in much of the
French approach to international
affairs. For instance, the French are
in the forefront of wanting a Europe
which is able to deal independently
and co-equally with the rest of the
world. Therefore, they are
in
favor
of a united Europe, so they say. And
yet to have a Europe which really
works, having strong institutions
based on a sufficient delegation of
national sovereignty, the French devote
tbemselves to frustrating the very
efforts to movein thatdirection. They
set up the ultimate contradiction.
They are the major proponents of a
certain objective - and at the same
time the major obstacle to the
achievement of that objective. Call
this French logic, if you wish.
Q .
You once described "French
logic" very poetically....
SCHAETZEL:
Somebody once said
that French logic is like a knife
which is "all blade." But no matter
how you explain it, the French atti–
tude is frustrating and worrisome to
other Europeans. This is especially
true for the West Germans. There
are currents just below the surface
of Germany which could cause the
Germans to say, "All right, Western
European unity isn't working; so
let's concentrate on an alternative
policy." As one of my German
friends recently told me, "After all ,
Germany is the one Europeao coun–
try that could have an alternative
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