Basic HTML Version
advance
news
in
the wake
of
today's WORLD EVENTS
Is it "Rapallo" al! over again?
The Soviets and the Germans have concluded a major
treaty - for the fourth time this century.
The three previous treaties - the Russo-German
Armistice in World War I, the Rapallo Treaty of Non–
Aggression in 1922, and the Hitler-Stalin Non-Aggression
Pact in 1939 - radically altered the face of Europe and the
world.
The new "Treaty of Non·Aggression," signed August
12 in Moscow, will be no exception.
It
is the biggest single
political event in Europe since the end of World War II.
Soviet Premier Alexei N. Kosygin praised the ñve–
artide 600-word docwnent as a "very important decision"
that was "dictated by Jife itself." And West German
Chancellor Willy Brandt called it "a new beginning which
will help our two countries to turn their gaze forward to a
better future."
The treaty must- now be ratified by the parliaments of the
two nations to become effective. There will be little difficulty
from the Soviet Union's rubber-stamp Supreme Soviet.
But the German Bundestag could create trouble for
this first completed venture in Brandt's "Ostpolitik" to seek
a detente with the East European Communist states. His
coalition goveroment maintains a slim 12-seat majority.
There is powerful opposition to Braodt's foreign policy
from the Christian Democratic and Christian Socialist
parties. They claim it was a matter of "all give, little get"
on Gennany's part.
In the cautiously worded new pact both sides agreed
to accept the present bordees in Europe and to recognize the
status quo. Yet, the door has been held open for future
talks on German reunification. The treaty, however, goes
far deeper than political generalities. Economic considera–
tions which played a big role in the negotiations will enable
the Soviet Union to tap the scientific and technological
know-how of West Germany to develop its Jagging economy.
For the Germans it will open the póssibility of vastly
increased trade with the entire Eastern European bloc. Poland,
Hungary, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia are also expected to
welcome West Germao credits and technica! assistance.
For the Soviets the pact provides one additional advan–
tage - a strategíc one of great importance. Wíth the stroke
of a pen, the Soviets have secured the western bordees of the
Communist bloc. With Bonn's recognition of existing fron-
tiers, including the Red satellite "buffer zone" nations,
Moscow is now free to cope with the increasingly trouble·
some Chinese problem in the East.
The new German rapprochment with the Russians
does have the approval of Washington, London and París.
But the future U. S. role in Western Europe is now more
clouded than ever befare. Now that Europe's two historical
antagonists are drawing together, the pressure inside
American circles to bring about large-scale troop withdrawals
will become stronger than ever.
The very fact that the Germans engineered - and
achieved - the new understanding wjth the Soviets on their
Wide World Photo
West German Chancellor Wi.lly Brandt and Soviet
Premier Alexei Kosygin sign the new " Treaty of Non–
Aggression" in Moscow on August 12.
own initiative is proof of Bonn's number one política] role
in Western Europe. At the same time ít graphically reveals
the declining role of U. S. inRuence.
The new non-aggression treaty, as far as can be ascer–
tained, is open and aboveboard - unlike the secret dauses of
the Rapallo Pact which allowed the German Army to desígn,
build, aod test, inside Russia, _prototype weapons forbidden
to Germany under the Versailles Treaty.
But no one knows for sure what exactly took place in