690 Foreign Relations, 1958-1960, Volume IX



would have to be depended on to make its essential contribution. [2-1/2
lines of source text not declassified] He said another phase of mutual reli-
ability lay in the division of labor in the scientific, military, and indus-
trial fields. He said there was a great deal of waste and overlapping in
this regard and much constructive work needed to be done. The Minis-
ter said that in NATO there are 77 guided missile projects underway
and that most of these will never go beyond the prototype stage. In con-
trast in the Soviet Bloc there are only 19 types of missiles. As a result
of
this more economic approach the cost effectiveness of the ruble is per-
haps twice that of the dollar. The Minister added that the Western Alli-
ance needs much more in the way of conventional weapons, and he said
one of the problems is agreeing on conventional weapons. Too many
private and national economic interests are working against standardi-
zation. He mentioned the French and German tank prototypes being
possibly combined and that the situation in the tank field in general was
as wasteful as in many others he had mentioned.


WEU Restrictions on Germany

    In regard to WEU restrictions on Germany, Minister Strauss said
that in any case Germany cannot go further than MC-70 requires. He
said there is no desire to produce things in Germany that are banned.
Germany does not want to increase its armed strength beyond that pre-
scribed in NATO agreements. But he said that whenever Germany asks
for a modification in WEU restrictions there is a discussion in the WEU
about whether the German contribution is necessary. He said that this
attitude seemed to fail to recognize the great revival which had taken
place in German science and also failed to realize the value of the contri-
butions which German scientists could make to the Western defense ef-
forts. He said that when a German request for modification of
limitations was submitted to WEU he would often hear nothing further
about it. This was the more polite treatment given to the German re-
quest. Refusals have been received and have been rather pointed. [2-1/2
lines of source text not declassified] He said that even the data exchange
agreements with the United States in which considerable hope had been
placed had not turned out to be so satisfactory. There seems to be too
much red tape and although there were 33 data exchange agreements
between Germany and the United States only three or four are actually
working effectively while the others were lost in red tape.
    Minister Strauss then mentioned the situation in Africa and said
that for two generations Europeans had done practically nothing for the
African colonies and now with nationalism on the march in Africa the
Europeans are running away. He said that in spite of this misguided at-
titude on the part of the Europeans, it must be arranged somehow that