But neither this. nor the German initiative at Brussels earlier
in the week, nor the first hints of a thaw in Paris, did anything to lessen the con- fusion which characterised the talks at Koenigs- winter. The British guests were given more than enough evidence in the study groups. where the talk was off the record, of the deep-seated Ger- man alarm at de Gaulle's attitude, of the German desire to arrive at a complete reconciliation with Britain, of the German horror at the notion of a weakening of American confidence in Europe, Of the German dread of having to choose between Paris and Washington. The German guests had plenty of exhortation from the British to stand up and be counted; but if we thought the Ger- mans indecisive and lacking in confidence, they could rightly enough complain that we were no more able than they to define the political con- text in which they should stand up. A massive confusion, I fear, rested upon our counsels, for all the eloquent efforts of such forceful Euro- peans as Mr, Roy Jenkins, Mr. Desmond Donnelly, Lady. Violet Bonham Carter, Mr. Frederic Bennett, and many another. There was a superfluity of Gaullology on the one hand; and on the other, for all the vague talk about Atlantic- isation, partnership, interdependence, twin pillars, and other such smokescreens which we use to screen the basic dilemma, no bold political solu- tions which might be arrived at with the United States were so much as adumbrated.
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