Conant Sees End To French Crisis

The French National Assembly will chose a new government within a week or ten days, President Emeritus James B. Conant '14 predicted last night on a WGBH radio broadcast.

Conant was confident that any such French government would immediately push the Paris Pacts for German independence and rearmament through the Council of the Republic. This would eliminate the only major obstacle remaining for placing the agreements into action.

Unless unforeseen obstacles appear, Germany will be independent and a part of the Western defense community by spring, Conant said.

"With all the difficulties we have had with these treaties, I cannot believe that the French will delay in this final step much longer," he said. "When I went to Europe two years ago, we all expected EDC to be a fact within a year. It is not yet a fact, but I feel sure that it will now finally come to pass."