NATO THE DOUBLE STANDARD ONLY TWO DAYS AFTER SECRETARY OF STATE DEAN 
RUSK IN FRANKFURT REPEATED THE U.S . PLEDGE TO MAINTAIN SIX 
DIVISIONS IN WEST GERMANY, NEWSPAPERS REPORTED THAT THE U.S . HAS 
" SCHEDULED THE WITHDRAWAL " OF AN ARMORED CAVALRY REGIMENT FROM 
GERMANY . SOONER OR LATER IT MAY INDEED BE WITHDRAWN BUT 
NOT FOR THE TIME BEING . ANYWAY, THE 5,000-MAN REGIMENT PLUS 
FIVE OTHER REGIMENTS WERE RUSHED TO GERMANY AT THE HEIGHT OF 
THE BERLIN CRISIS IN 1961 IN ORDER TO REINFORCE THE SIX 
U.S . DIVISIONS COMMITTED TO NATO . THESE TEMPORARY REINFORCEMENTS WOULD 
ALL HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BACK AFTER THE CRISIS EASED AT A 
SAVING OF NEARLY $200 MILLION A YEAR IF THE PENTAGON HAD 
BEEN ALLOWED ITS WAY . BUT TO PLACATE BONN, THE KENNEDY 
ADMINISTRATION PROMISED IN SEPTEMBER THAT IT WOULD NOT WITHDRAW ANY TROOPS 
" WITHOUT CONSULTATION . " THE FUROR IN BONN LAST WEEK 
FORCED PRESIDENT KENNEDY TO REPEAT, SOMEWHAT WEARILY, THAT THE SIX NATO 
DIVISIONS PLUS THE SIX ADDITIONAL REGIMENTS THAT ARE NOT COMMITTED TO 
NATO WOULD REMAIN ON GERMAN SOIL . THE EXCITEMENT OVER A 
SINGLE REGIMENT IS A SYMPTOM OF WHAT WASHINGTON CALLS NATO'S " 
DOUBLE STANDARD . " GERMAN FEARS ARE UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT EUROPEANS IN 
GENERAL, WASHINGTON FEELS, EXPECT THE U.S . TO MEET ITS NATO 
COMMITMENTS AS A MATTER OF COURSE, WHILE NEVER COMING NEAR TO 
FULFILLING THEIR OWN OBLIGATIONS IN THE ALLIANCE . AS ONE U.S 
. OFFICIAL TOLD REPORTERS LAST WEEK : " FOR A LONG 
TIME NATO HAS BEEN A 20-MULE-TEAM WAGON, WITH ONE MULE PULLING 
AND THE OTHERS SITTING IN THE WAGON . IT IS TIME 
FOR THEM TO GET OUT AND PULL TOO . " 