Remodeling the Club

NATO Headlines rarely surround the meetings of the foreign ministers of the 15 NATO nations who often seem to be the talking, as opposed to the military, branch of NATO. But as the foreign ministers gathered in Paris this week, a rare expectancy was in the air. NATO's leading nation had at last accepted the proposition put forward long ago by Canada's "Mike" Pearson and Italy's Giovanni Gronchi—that NATO should broaden its strictly military base and serve as the free world's chosen instrument in politics and economics.

Beyond accepting this premise, John Foster Dulles himself seemed a little vague on what was to be done (TIME, April 30), talked of his willingness to listen, and had no blueprints. Even so, the U.S. change of course was important and welcome. It came at a time when many NATO nations are regretful about the retirement (in November) of General Al Gruenther, discouraged at the disunity among partners caused by issues such as Cyprus, and dilatory over honoring their military commitments, out of a growing conviction that war is not just around the corner.

The U.S. long held back from the shift it has now made, because it was convinced that NATO is not the best grouping to deal with economic matters. The OEEC (Organization for European Economic Cooperation) includes the same Western European nations, and, in addition, the two important trading nations, Switzerland and Sweden, who as neutrals have no desire to join NATO. Other nations have reservations about grandiose plans to offer aid to underdeveloped countries through NATO. Said one French official: "For these nations, NATO is a soldiers' club. Any government of an underdeveloped country accepting aid from it would have come in for heavy attack from its left-wing opposition."

But what prevailed over these misgivings was a universal feeling that NATO needs a new lift to face a changing world. It may not be the best combination of nations for its new tasks, but it is the only cluster of Western powers that has real meaning for the European public: it represents to Europeans the one place where they have sworn their vows of fealty to the West, and, just as important, the one place where the U.S. has by solemn treaty pledged to them its strength and support.