President emeritus CONANT granted Crimson reporter JOHN R. MURPHY '55 an interview during the latter's trip to Europe this summer.

No incompatibility exists between the need for European integration and the necessity of German reunification, according to James Bryant Conant '14, president emeritus of Harvard and for the past 18 months United States High Commissioner in Germany.

In an interview with the CRIMSON in the "HICOG" office at Bonn, Conant, agreeing with Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, said "the way towards German reunification in peace and freedom is by first demonstrating to the Kremlin that the western European nations are united politically, militarily and economically and are therefore strong in their support of the free world."

His agreement with Adenauer's aims led to a sharp criticism of French procrastination on the European Defense Community.

Speaking on August 23, the day after the crucial Brussels conference, Conant said, "It is a tragedy that the ratification of the treaty by France has been so long delayed. It would be a far greater tragedy if the treaty were defeated in the French Assembly in the coming weeks." The Assembly defeated EDC on August 31.

Conant said that such a defeat of EDC would be a tremendous blow to the drive for defense and integration of Western Europe. He also emphasized that the EDC plan should not be thought of as a separate entity but as "a part of a whole movement for European unity, of which the Schuman Plan for Coal and Steel was the first step."

He expressed complete sympathy with the present stand of the German Federal Republic on the problem of European integration and his position implied a belief in the merits of bi-lateral action by Germany and the United States.

Sees Close Bond

Conant spoke confidently of German-American ties. "The relations between the United States troops and the German inhabitants are remarkably satisfactory considering all the difficulties which are bound to occur when foreign troops are present in large numbers. . . Although the united States is legally still an occupying power, actually the United States troops are present as defense forces." Conant said this situation is fully understood by the Germans.

The High Commissioner is in frequent contact with U.S. Army heaquarters several hundred miles down the Rhine at Heidelberg, since his position is still partly that of a military governor. But the functions of his office have been significantly diminished in other respects.

In fact, the Allied High Commission, composed of French, British and American Commissioners, has, according to Conant, "been in the process of dissolving for two years, that is, since the E.D.C. Treaty and the Bonn Conventions were signed. Most of the functions of the occupying powers have long since been transferred to the government of the German Federal Republic."

Within the past year the three High Commissioners have assumed the official title of "ambassador," indicating the transitional status of the office. The plans were made on the assumption that the office would become an embassy within the year. "When that occurs," said Conant, "which I believe will be very shortly, the role of chief of Mission here will be that of ambassador, as in any other country."

This adoption of the title of ambassador before the actual duties change seems to have been an important psychological factor in creating amity between the American and German governments. German newspapers immediately began to refer to "Ambassador Conant" and communiques from the Bonn government are now addressed similarly. This change is typical of many actions which have evidently caused the Germans to think of the United States as an allied rather than an occupying power.

A Special Situation

Ambassador Conant indicated that, in this connection, Berlin represented a special situation. "Even after the Federal Republic becomes a sovereign nation and is making its military contribution to the defense of Europe, Berlin will remain a responsibility of the three western allies. The American ambassador in Bonn would have the same special responsibilities in Berlin as hitherto, and this would continue until Germany is reunified and Berlin once again becomes the capitol of a free and united Germany."