Evening star., 1948-05-08
CONGRESS of Europe

Although no governments have spon-
sored it, the Congress OF Europe" now In
session at The Hague Is an enterprise OF
historic Importance. Taking part in 1t
are distinguished citizens of the sixteen
Marshall Plan nations, delegates represent
ing Spain and parts of Germany, and out
standing exiles from Yugoslavia, Czecho-
slovakia, Romania and Finland. Their
common long-range purpose is a great and
noble one: Stated simply it is to put flesh
on the ancient dream of a federated
continent.
The most important figure of all at the
congress is former Prime Minister winston
Churchill of Britain. In his opening ad-
objectives in words that can be understood
by everybody on both sides Of the iron
curtain. Objective one Is the immediate
formation of "a European assembly. OBJ
jective two is the creation Of an emergency
committee to- direct joint action for eco
nomic recovery and military defense. And
objective three is to work. with the help
of those two agencies, for the promptest
possible establishment of permanent
SoO1lI1 VI C04OPS-R SOaAlS11 0CoASACo w
function within the overall framework of
the United Nations as a regional grouping
of power coequal with the power of the
Soviet world on one hand and the Western
Hemisphere on the other.
In other words, according to Mr..
Churchill, what the congress is aiming at
is the building up of public opinion mighty
- L,vs,, ataN f11oI
ticipation Of all the peoples throughout
the continent whose society and way OF
life are not in disaccord with the charter
of human rights and the sincere expression
of free democracy" Given a common
front of that kind, there would be new
security against the danger OF Red aggres-
sion, and concrete progress could be made
toward the ultimate, long-term objective
namely, a continental federation or a
United States of Europe with enough
strength and singleness of purpose within
itself to be on fairly even terms with the
Russian and American giants, thus making
possible wholesome, peace-serving bal
ance of power inside the United Nations.
It is an easy thing, of course, to cite
reasons why such program Is likely to
run into plenty Of grief. Wholly apart
from the Soviet Unions certain opposition
to it. and wholly apart from the fact that
1t does not have the formal backing of
governments, 1t faces this tremendous
obstacle; That over the centuries Europe's
separate sovereignties have developed
among themselves political, economic, re-
ligious and cultural differences and rival
ries that are rooted deeply, in some
instances, in wilderness Of fear and hate.
1t will take more than The Hague congress
to reverse history in that sense. 1t will
take more than the mere pronouncement
of splendid ideal to sweep away the bitter
antagonisms of the past and bring Euro
peans together in a single community
working as one to share bright future in
common.
Yet there is also this fact: That in the
modern world, as British Prime Minister
Attlee and others have declared, Europe
must federate or perish-politically eco
nomically and militarily An important
first step toward the goal held up at The
Hague has already been made in the
Western Union created by Britain, France
and the three Benelux countries. There
must be continuing outward expansion
from there. The task is not hopeless.
Necessity plus unflagging effort and such
inspired leadership as Mr.. Churchilrs, can,
in time, translate the ancient dream into
lifesaving reality.