European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 20, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cooler Paris ties doily Magazine condemned to get along by John Vinocur new York times the Friendship Between West Germany and a Basic element in Western Europe relationship with both the United states and the soviet is losing some of its there have been no open clashes or publicly argued differences of but officials in both capitals Are acknowledging that the need the two countries Felt to View world events with the same european Outlook has although neither Side will say it even the result of the process might be that the Reagan administration will find its dealings with both allies it appears increasingly Clear that France and West Germany will have a harder time working out joint policies that would situate them Between the americans and the Central element of As seen by a West German with Access to the thinking of Chancellor Hel Mut is that events of notably the afghan and polish have reinforced the position of those French policymakers who believe Bonn and Paris have National interests that Are to some degree in immediate terms this Means West the Western country that has profited most from the climate of detente in the last 10 is less willing than which is buffered on the East by the armies of the United states and West to draw Tough conclusions from soviet in the eight months Between the soviet intervention in Afghanistan and the polish labor uprising in president Valery Giscard Destain appeared to share schmidts View that Western Europe could be spared the effects of crumbling soviet american but sometime after the downfall of Edward the polish communist party Leader whose abilities appear to have been overrated by both Schmidt and gis card the French position began to evolve while West Germany almost religious attachment to detente remained the two leaders examined Public opinion in their countries and received different schmidts trip to Moscow for talks with Leonid Brezhnev was Well received at but the French presidents visit with the soviet Leader in Warsaw was widely it neither brought a soviet withdrawal from Afghani Stan nor prevented the soviet Campaign of intimidation against yet it helped to end Brezhnev internal Federal German press office Chancellor Schmidt at his Home in Hamburg with French president Giscard Destain january 1981 tonal in october another series of events involving West Germany according to a French consid Erable thinking in Paris about German a kind of political Loch Ness monster that has traditionally been taken much More seriously in the French foreign ministry than elsewhere in the it is close to gospel in France that a reunified Ger Many would fatally diminish the French role in Europe and the rest of the at Issue was West Germany total unwillingness to take any action on East Germany decision to limit communication Between the two countries by increasing the currency Exchange requirements for for some the West German attitude brought strikingly to Light the extent to which the inter Nal German Issue is a priority for Bonn and for some members of the chancellors social democratic German Solidarity subordinates Lon term cooperation with examples of the resulting coolness and differences in standpoint soon began to crop in a report in the newspaper Frankfurter Allie mine Zeitung that went unchallenged by the government news service in Schmidt was quoted As telling party friends that if any thing happened in Giscard will be Arm and Arm with at the nato meeting in Brussels in Early de the French stated much More clearly than the West germans that the russians would have to reckon with economic sanctions if they moved on and then sought privately to Point up the difference in the relationship Between Schmidt and Giscard Destain is also said to have although some germans have suggested that their personal Friendship was exaggerated in the a Friend of Schmidt reported recently that their Telephone conversations were not the Way they were this altered mood has made it easier for Normal irritations to take on the appearance of in this a West German described the French As unusually vexed that Bonn did not appear to make much of an Effort to keep a West German postal strike in november from spreading to West where France has responsibility As one of three occupying but there Are issues of greater importance where the More problematical atmosphere May make things diff a West German official recently France was eager to reactivate the Middle East peace initiative by the common Market As soon As while West he Felt the Reagan administration must be Given several months to work out and announce its position before anything else is at the same the French Are described As being unhappy about what they regard As West German willingness to Back a third world proposal to enlarge the United nations Security a step that would dilute French although the positions Are not yet sharply Bonn and Paris Are Likely to disagree on How the com Mon Market will continue its agricultural an other area of importance for which has tradition ally benefited from the Community agricultural when a West German official was asked How Long he thought the current mood would he avoided a pre diction and instead chose a diplomatic nicety France and West he Are condemned to get West which would be made extremely uncomfortable by any feeling of political surely wants the coolness to pass As quickly As and Schmidt is probably looking Forward to a meeting with Giscard Destain in Paris in Early but France is in the midst of a presidential and Giscard Destain is being pressed by both the socialists and gaullist to develop a More Resolute policy in relation to the soviet in Friendship with West Germany is Val but it could hardly be described As a great vote almost three years when the French socialist and communist parties were Allied in parliamentary elec one of the big communist Campaign posters showed Schmidt and Giscard Destain together in eve Ning looking enraptured and the poster called them the twin forces of monopoly and the stars and stripes Page 13