Half Step Forward

Ever since Britain diffidently began knocking at the door, the six nations of Europe's booming Common Market have found themselves at slight odds. Eager to have Britain in to offset French-German hegemony in the market, the three Benelux nations have tried to slow the pace of togetherness. France's Charles de Gaulle, who dreams of using the Common Market to Gallicize Europe, has tried to force the pace to discourage Britain. A "political" summit meeting of the heads of state of the Six, scheduled last spring, was called off because of all the intramural squabbling. But last week, partly under the unifying pressure of Khrushchev's threats against Berlin, the Six at last gathered in Bonn for a "European summit."

To protect the distinguished guests, the sleepy Bonn suburb of Bad Godesberg was turned into a virtual armed camp. Some 2,000 green-clad state police deployed around the white Redoute, a graceful 18th century mansion now a restaurant that the government occasionally takes over for major fetes. Italy's Premier Fanfani, The Netherlands' Premier de Quay, Belgium's Premier Lefevre, Luxembourg's Premier Werner came early. Last to arrive were De Gaulle and West Germany's Chancellor Adenauer; then the whole group got down to business: drafting a "European declaration" to serve as a guide toward the ultimate political unity to which the Six are pledged.

Drafting the two-page document turned out to be an all-day task. For example, The Netherlands inserted a clause, aimed at the British, affirming "the wish that other European states may join." The French, mindful of Britain's proposed conditions for the protection of its Commonwealth trading ties, truculently changed the wording to "other European states prepared in all areas to assume the same responsibilities and obligations."

For all the haggling, the Six took at least a half step toward greater political cooperation. The government heads empowered the Six's standing committee of diplomats to draw up proposals "on ways and means to give the union of their peoples a statutory character within the shortest time." Such a "European statute" was to give the Market's political character "form and framework."

Until the form and framework become realities, the six heads of government resolved to meet at regular intervals (next meeting: October) to discuss common European problems, ranging from defense to setting up a "European university" at Florence. As one German official explained, "If this meeting did nothing to ease Britain's entry, it certainly placed no new difficulties in Britain's path."

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