THE DEFENSE OF WESTERN EUROPE

The head of the New York Times European Bureau here presents many facets of the problems involved and the developments related to the defense of Western Europe. In close collaboration with General Eisenhower, whom he calls ""the indispensable man"", with SHAPE, officials of NATO, and other first hand sources, he marshalls the data, not minimizing the Herculean task, the perils, the threat that Russia may move before the allied powers are ready, the necessity of relinquishing some of our sovereign rights -- since that is demanded of all. There are pen portraits of some of the key figures involved. There are facts that will come as a surprise to many. There is faith that our allies will fight -- but that we must reassess their capacity to support military commitments and at the same time maintain the precarious economic balance. We -- as a nation -- have to make friends and win confidence, for Europe distrusts us as a reactionary, capitalistic people, bent on war. He endorses Eisenhower's trust in this being a road to maintain peace, rather than war -- and the only road. That it involves economic, political, ideological problems he knows, and gives all angles. This is much more than a book on strategy. It is a sound discussion of the world situation.