THE ALLIES TEMPTATION OF TRADE PIPE THE BIG KIND THAT RUSSIA DESPERATELY 
NEEDS TO COMPLETE ITS VAST GAS AND OIL NETWORK STRETCHING FROM 
THE PACIFIC TO THE ELBE WAS THE SECOND BIGGEST TOPIC IN 
EUROPEAN CAPITALS LAST WEEK . FOR MONTHS, NATO HAS BEEN URGING 
A TOTAL EMBARGO ON LARGE-DIAMETER PIPE . SPUTTERED A NATO OFFICIAL 
IN PARIS : " SELL THEM RIFLES . EVEN SELL THEM 
ATOMIC BOMBS . BUT DON'T SELL THEM PIPE . / PROVOKING 
THE OUTCRY WAS A RUMBLE THAT STARTED IN BONN FORTNIGHT AGO 
WHEN REBELLIOUS MEMBERS OF THE BUNDESTAG ROUNDED UP ENOUGH VOTES TO 
REVERSE THE GOVERNMEN'T CANCELLATION OF A JUICY $20 MILLION SOVIET PIPE 
ORDER . CHANCELLOR KONRAD ADENAUER RUSHED BACK HOME FROM A LAKE 
COMO VACATION ON THE EVE OF THE BALLOTING, MANAGED TO AVOID 
HUMILIATING DEFEAT ONLY BY ORDERING HIS CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS TO STAY OFF 
THE FLOOR, THUS CAUSING THE LACK OF A QUORUM . DER 
ALTE'S LAST-DITCH MANEUVER PROVED HIS SOLID SUPPORT OF THE U.S., WHICH, 
UNLIKE MOST OF ITS ALLIES, ATTACHES GREAT STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE TO MOSCOW'S 
PIPELINE NETWORK . BUT IT GOT ADENAUER INTO TROUBLE AT HOME 
. THE PRO-NATO SOCIALISTS CALLED THE BUNDESTAG BOYCOTT DIRTY POOL ; 
THE INDUSTRIALISTS COMPLAINED MORE BITTERLY THAN EVER . THERE THE ISSUE 
COULD HAVE SIMMERED INDEFINITELY ; BUT LAST WEEK THE BRITISH CALMLY 
ANNOUNCED THAT, SINCE THEY HAD NEVER SUPPORTED NATO'S PIPE EMBARGO IN 
THE FIRST PLACE, THE GOVERNMENT HAD NO OBJECTION IF A BRITISH 
FIRM ACCEPTED A SOVIET DEAL FOR PIPE THAT BONN HAD JUST 
CANCELED . THAT ONLY ONE BRITISH COMPANY WAS TECHNICALLY EQUIPPED TO 
TURN OUT SMALL AMOUNTS OF LARGE-DIAMETER PIPE AND HAD NOT EVEN 
RECEIVED A BID FROM MOSCOW WAS OF SMALL COMFORT TO U.S 
. AND WEST GERMAN OFFICIALS . NOR WERE THEY REASSURED BY 
THE FACT THAT ITALY, A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF SOVIET PIPE BEFORE 
THE NATO BAN, DID NOT IMMEDIATELY GRAB OFF PART OF THE 
LUCRATIVE TRADE ; ITALIAN MANUFACTURERS SIMPLY WERE BACKED UP AT THE 
MOMENT WITH THEIR OWN DOMESTIC ORDERS . WHAT REALLY HAD WASHINGTON 
AND BONN CONCERNED WAS LONDON'S NEXT MOVE . BRITAIN, EXCLUDED FOR 
NOW FROM THE COMMON MARKET AND PLAGUED BY SERIOUS UNEMPLOYMENT, WAS 
EAGER FOR EXPORT MARKETS ANYWHERE ; IF ONE INCH OF LARGE-DIAMETER 
OIL PIPE WAS DELIVERED TO RUSSIA, THE NATO BOYCOTT WOULD BE 
BROKEN . WEST GERMANY AND ITALY COULD NO LONGER BE RESTRAINED 
. NEITHER COULD FRANCE, WHICH HAS A MASSIVE (500,000 TONS), AND 
MOSTLY UNUSED, ANNUAL CAPACITY FOR PIPE PRODUCTION, BUT WHICH SUPPORTS THE 
U.S . COMPLETELY ON THE ALLIES' DEBATE OVER THE STRATEGIC VALUE 
OF MOSCOW'S BIG INCH . 