THE DOUBLE
CRISIS
federation than to a half-Reich. Remember that the inhabitants of
the Saar did not vote for the Reich. Remember also that the second
Reich was founded on the military defeat of France.
In a word, if European federation is achieved, I would prefer
to see Bavarians in it, rather than a half-Reich; and I believe, no
matter what anyone says, that Bavarians have the same preference.
I am not at all an expert in military matters, but it seems to
me clear that your military defense is dependent upon your air force.
Your military policy must therefore envisage the establishment of
very heavily protected bases--defended not only by radar .. . but
by highly mobile allied troops. It would seem curious to me if your
agreements in this field with the more western parts of Europe were
not more worthwhile than those which could provide, in reality,
only an untenable screen.
I am convinced, moreover, that there cannot be a vigorous
Europe unless it is grouped around France (you understand that I
do not mean: under French hegemony).
If
all that we have with
which to counter Stalin is a Europe based on some kind of Third
Force, we might just as well give up now. (I cannot, of course,
imagine Europe possible without English cooperation.) Socialism is
one thing; the political apparatus of socialist parties another. I come
back to what I said to you before: we are faced with the problem
of creating democracy, not of reassembling its pieces.
I do not need to persuade you that energy is more important
than the form it takes. What Russia has become is due less to its
Marxism than to the fact that Marxism was made use of by Lenin.
Burnham:
You will realize that those of us in the United
States who are concerned with world politics have followed closely
the attempts of France, since the war, to act as a "bridge between
East and West"-or, put more brutally, to play off the Soviet Union
against the United States. These attempts are natural--even justi–
fiable, if they could succeed.
It
is always tragic for men to have
to make an irrevocable choice.
In spite of recent events, I have the impression that many
French leaders still believe
in
the possibility of reviving their bal–
ancing act. Perhaps that is the hidden but essential meaning of the
Third Force.
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