NORWAY: Repeating, Not Retreating

Of the 15 nations in NATO, only Norway and Turkey have a border on the Soviet Union. Last week Norway's Premier Einar Gerhardsen, on a twelve-day good-will junket to Russia, signed a communique with Soviet Premier Bulganin promising not to "open bases for foreign forces on Norwegian territory as long as Norway is not attacked or threatened with attack." The communiqué had the sound of a retreat from Norway's fidelity to NATO, and Communist newspapers in Europe so played it. Actually, Gerhardsen was merely repeating a pledge made to the Soviet Union in 1949, just before Norway joined NATO. Norway has five NATO-built air bases, and is getting seven more. Allied airmen can drop in on them but cannot be stationed there unless Norway feels imminently threatend by attack. Denmark has a similar clause in its NATO membership.