NATO EXPANSION IS GOOD NEWS FOR U.S.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for a half-century the bulwark of Western military defense, has accepted three of its former Eastern European enemies as new members. They are Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. President Bill Clinton, in Madrid for the formalities, proclaimed it "a very great day" for European security. The president is right, and the historic significance of these former enemies' lining up together, pledged to mutual defense, can hardly be overestimated. Who would have thought, just 10 or 15 years ago, with Cold War tensions simmering as they had for so long, that 1997 would see this?

Moreover, there may be more former Eastern Bloc nations to follow these three. NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana, in announcing the decision, singled out Romania and Slovenia as likely to be added later. Solana went as far as to say, "No European democratic country whose admission would fulfill the objectives of the NATO treaty will be excluded from consideration." France had pushed hard for admission of these two, but bowed to American pressure that there be no more than three additions now. Those who backed the French proposal believe that Europe's southern flank is its most volatile region and say early admission of Romania and Slovenia would have added stability. That dispute is deferred for another day.

Americans can be proud of this triumph of enlightened Western statesmanship, which despite huge obstacles is a bipartisan monument to 50 years of steadfastness and vigilance, vision and determination.