Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-10-21
Recovery Of
Is Major One
West Europe
THOMPSON
Dorothy Thompson

Despite the tact That we ce,r-
tainly are in time of trt-
b!es," there are hopeful aspect
in the international scene which
if they mature without inter-
ruption by war-eventually Mayo
overcome the crisis.
One of these is the remarkable
economic recovery of the West
ern nations of Europe-not as
vet in the terms envisaged in
the Marshall Plan, but remark
able in view of Europe's condi-
ton at the close of the war.
The Russians are denigrating
this recovery, al guing, 1T may
look as though Western Europe(
had a new lease on life, but
don't believe it." This peren-
NAL Communist view accounts in
part for Marshal VASTLY d. So
kolovsky's unyieiding attitude in
Berlin.
However, even official Russian
statistics indicate that the Soviet
Union has not returned to the
pre-war production level, while
most of the West has, includingA
Great Britain. From Moscow,
the Council of Ministers reported
on Friday that The output for the
first nine months of 1948 exceed
ed the 1910 level by IA per cent.
But it was admitted that in
dustry had under-fulfilled the
quarterly plan tor steel, trans
formers, tin plate, agricultural
machinery and automobiles" fail
ing, in short, in the most basic
elements of an industrialS.
economy.
The Communist coup in &c
hoslovakia has resulted in ter
rible slump in production. The
Czech coup also had an imme-
diate effect upon Hungary, where
a purge instantly started with
great dislocatlons to h
economy. The Cominform
quarrel with Tito, who now is
called a Contemplate degener-t
ate, ''arch nationalist and old
fractionist,' certainly is upset
ting to the Societ plan of a COM
pletely integrated East-European
economy. Now, according to the
veteran Comintern agent, Will
helm PECK, who heads the Go
vernment of Soviet Germany, a
radical purge is to begin there.
But purge never accompany high
production.
Meanwhile, all parts of Vest
ern Europe are recovering and
some belgium, for instance) to
high level of prosperity. Th(
Italian problem of many mouths
to feed with shortage of land,
and wheels to turn with few ma
tive raw materials. Even West
ern Germany slowly is picking
up.
Most hopeful of all, however,
is the growing European con-
seriousness of a unity of destiny,
which found its most practical
expression last week in the
speech of Count Carlo SforZa be-
fore the Italian Senate. Italy.
having suffered under Mussolini
virulent fever of nationalism,
has become more European per
haps than any other state and
more willing to abandon part OF
her national sovereignty. West
ern German leaders think quite
as strongly in this direction.
A United States of Europe
springing full-fledged with g
constitution I'D federal govern.
ment on the pattern of he Unit
ed States in 1881, is most unlike.
ly-as Barbara Ward explains If
her brilliant book, The West a
Bay incidentally, this bool
by the 34-year-old British econo
my anu polltlldl Jl OulSy IS
better account of ERP, its wortE
and its problems than has com,
from any American penn
But the European organization
set up to handle the Marshal
Plan on an intra- European basi
the first all-European econo
mic planning commissioning
gests further fusions.
The reluctance of the Europe
states, while leaning heavily o
America aid and defense, to sid
irrevocab'y with America agains
the Soviet Union on every issu
indicates growing vitality i
Europe. and a belief in itself a
Third greatly needle
balance and stability.
released by The Bell Syn
dictate, lnc.)