Word: rearmament
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...This is a conference which must succeed," Anthony Eden began. Mendès-France, whose views were known the least and counted the most, hastened to explain his government's "philosophy" toward German rearmament. Diplomatic brows furrowed as Mendés reeled off the list of familiar French objections: controls, limits, agreements on the Saar. Then Mendès made a big concession. In principle, he said, France would no longer oppose West German sovereignty or its admission to NATO. "The French government," explained the man who had stood in five-to-one isolation at the Brussels Conference only...
...said a British spokesman, "is over the hump." The ministers dined with Sir Winston Churchill and heard a powerful disquisition on his current obsession, defense against the H-bomb. Optimism was in the air. All that remained was to work out the details on how best to control German rearmament. Eden's plan was to settle some of these thorny questions in four-way talks between West Germany and the three occupying powers, leave the rest to committees of experts. But it didn't work out that...
...same time that Anthony Eden made Britain's commitment toward German sovereignty and rearmament, Britain's most reckless statesman made a last-ditch effort to exploit the fears and emotions aroused by that issue. Aneurin Bevan did not conceal his purpose: to wrest the Labor Party's leadership from the temperate hands of Clement Attlee...
...platform, Attlee glided into the battle calmly, like a confident parson addressing his flock. The party executive had approved German rearmament only with "serious misgivings," said he, but "I know from experience that you do not get a response from Russia by conciliation." Behind him. Bevan glowered shaggily. Up hopped little, beady-eyed R. W. Casasola, head of the foundry workers, to make the Bevanites' move-a resolution to reverse the Labor executive's position and condemn any sort of German rearmament. Shouted Casasola: "Give the Germans arms, and you are on the sure road to World...
...young (33) Laborite M. P. Desmond Donnelly rose dramatically. Donnelly had been a faithful Bevanite and opponent of German arms. But he had just returned from a trip through Poland, East Germany and Czechoslovakia, Donnelly told the delegates. What he had seen convinced him, "sadly but definitely," that German rearmament was necessary. Said Donnelly: "If every plan for controlled German rearmament is rejected, we shall find ourselves with no controls-but with the arms." Bevanites began to boo. Shouting above the swelling uproar, Donnelly suddenly pointed an accusing finger at Bevan and cried: "Some people will bear a heavy responsibility...