Spectator's Notebook
I DON'T know why there should be all this fuss 'about Mr. Macmillan's letter to Dr. Aden- auer and the 'rebuff' he has received from him. In fact, during the Brussels negotiation the Ger- man delegation joined with the Benelux powers and Italy in putting pressure on the French, and the Chancellor's known desire not to offend Presi- dent de Gaulle or do anything to prejudice the unity of 'little' Europe does not seem to have made all that difference to the attitude of his officials. It is fairly obvious that a man of eighty is not going to be drawn away from a line he has pursued with some obstinacy by a letter however eloquently penned, and it would sur- prise me if Mr. Macmillan did not realise this. On the other hand, proffered assurances about the sincerity of British intentions and the reason- ableness of British requests probably do have their effect on Dr. Adenauer's colleagues. There is evidence that ministers such as Dr. Schroder and Dr. Erhard are now more determined than ever that German policy shall correspond to its stated intention of aiding Britain's entry into Europe, and Dr. Adenauer's attempt to dissociate the political and economic issues looks like an en- forced retreat. It is significant that the correspon- dence was revealed by Die Welt, a paper that has usually attacked the Chancellor for allowing him- self to be used by the French. Many German officials and also members of the CDU do not conceal their anxiety at behaviour on the Chancellor's part which, if it led to a breakdown in the Brussels talks—as is not likely to be the case--might also bring about the disruption of NATO. 'Der Alte' sometimes seems to choose a very odd way of championing Europe. Nothing was ever defended by being diminished and Dr. Adenauer's curious manoeuvres—including his attempt to get an attack on Mr. Macmillan cut from a TV broadcast—serve neither Europe nor his own reputation.
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