Word: pleven
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...Western allies were getting nervous about the mounting pressures of rearmament on their precarious economies. Britain, facing near-bankruptcy, reluctantly slowed down its rearmament program (see below). France, which seems to lack the moral purpose to save itself, could not make up its mind to ratify the Pleven (European army) plan, which the French themselves originated. The Benelux countries talked of pulling out of the European army: if Britain wouldn't join, if the French would neither fish nor cut bait, they wanted to return to the old system of nations individually contributing divisions to SHAPE...
...real trouble was the French. It was they who devised the European army plan in the first place, knowing that they could not defend themselves without German help but unwilling to see Germany powerful again. Reluctantly at first, the U.S. had accepted Premier René Pleven's compromise: a European army to include twelve German army divisions, but barring a German general staff, limiting the divisions' size and armament, sprinkling them through the joint army to prevent them from homogenizing into a unified German army. To this international army France would contribute 14 divisions...
...Extremes. Now that the other NATO nations had bought the Pleven plan, Pleven's precarious government was acting as if it did not dare submit it to its own National Assembly. The two extremes of French politics, the Communists and the Gaullists, are whipping up opposition to the plan. Cried General Charles de Gaulle last week: "For centuries, our worth and weight has been identical with that of the French Army. We cannot, we must not lose our army...
...weeks ago, Premier René Pleven proclaimed austerity for France, and a Slash in imports of U.S. coal, ore and raw materials, in an effort to brake the run. But devaluation rumors had French capital badly scared...
Last week, after a five-hour cabinet meeting, Pleven had good news to announce: the U.S. had granted France $600 million emergency aid-$200 million for direct economic aid, $400 million to maintain U.S. troops stationed in France and to equip U.S. armed forces from French industry...