A-Bombs for Allies?

The U.S. last week informed the NATO Council in Paris that it intended to move 225 F-100 fighter-bombers from France to Britain and West Germany. Reason: the French government would not let the U.S. ship the fighter-bombers' nuclear weapons into France unless the "nucs" were put under French control. A few days later, the F-100s began roaring off their bases at Toul, Etain and Chaumont, landed in new quarters at British and German alternate bases hard by the nuclear weapons, a combination that made NATO strength for the Berlin crisis that much solider.

But behind the headlines the U.S., far from being outraged, was making an effort unthinkable in the days of the old French Fourth Republic to support De Gaulle's drive to restore French influence. At the discussion level in high Administration circles were proposals to:

> Work out treaty arrangements so that the French could have the blueprints of U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus to help De Gaulle start up a nuclear navy;

> Help train French personnel in use of nuclear equipment;

> Seek amendment in Congress of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act to permit British and French control of small tactical nuclear weapons, including missile warheads; the project will be brought up before President Eisenhower and the National Security Council shortly.

"Of course General de Gaulle and I have agreed long since that at the first opportunity we would talk together [on] all of the matters where we don't quite see eye to eye . . . and see if we can do something about it," said the President at his press conference. Secretary of State Herter, on the road to Geneva, would probably sound out De Gaulle on coming to the U.S. Some U.S. authorities believe that De Gaulle may stall until the French test-fire their first atom bomb in the Sahara this summer, and can thus enter NATO's inner nuclear club with stronger cards.

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