Evening star., 1949-03-15
Roberts Heads Group
Urging Federal Union
OF Atlantic Nations

Formation Of an Atlantic Union
Committee" Of prominent Amer
leans to press for Federal Union
Of the Western Democracies sign
ing the North Atlantic security
pact was announced today.
Former Supreme Court Justice
Owen J. Roberts. president of the
committee. said 1t would ask Con-
sress to pass a resolution calling
for an international convention to
explore the possibilities of closer
union of the Atlantic pact coun-
tries.
The committees creation was
announced by Mr.. Roberts, former
Secretary Of War Robert p. Pat
ternson and former Undersecre-
tary Of State Will L. Clayton. Mr..
Patterson and Mr.. Clayton are
vice presidents Of the committee.
Declaring at a news conference
that world freedom Is threatened
by Russia now just as 1t was by
Hitler in 1899. Mr.. Roberts said
the proposed union would make
democracy so powerful that the
Kremlin could not hope to start a
war with any prospect of success. I"
Much Broader Purpose.
Mr.. Patterson explained that "a
union Of the democracies will con-
vince the Kremlin that democ-
racies mean business The Krern-
lin would see Immediately, he
added. that the creation of a fed
eral defense force for a union of
nations would be far stronger
than any staff agreements between
separate nations"
Mr.. Roberts asserted, however.
that the proposed union would be
for a very much broader purpose
than lineup against Russia. He
said it would demonstrate that
the welfare of all the people would
be promoted by democratic fedora
ton. would strengthen the United
Nations and raise the standard of
living and lower the cost of mill
tary security" for all involved.
After Congress has acted on the
Atlantic pact. he said. the commit
tee will ask for passage of a resolu-
ton calling for an international
convention to explore how far the
United States and the other de-
mocracies could wisely 60 at this
time in forming a true federation
Of the Atlantic Democracies
within the framework of the
United Nations"
Office Opened Here.
II the proposed international
convention should agree on recon-
mendations for Federal union. he
said, they would have to go back to
the peoples of the countries in
volved for ratification.
He said he envisaged a union in
which the relationship of the
United States and other nations
going into it to the union govern
ment would be very much like that
of the States Of this country to
the Federal Government. There
would be a common citizenship.
common medium of exchange and
common defense force. he said.
Headquarters Of the Atlantic
Union A. Committee have been
opened here at I'LL Seventeenth
street NV. Mr.. Roberts said q
national council of = prominent
citizens is being formed that com
nunity groups will be organized
throughout the country to support
the project.
Among those listed as members
Of the National Council are DR..
Paul Douglass, president Of Amer
ican University; Rabbi Norman
Gerstenfeld, Arthur Bliss Lane,
former American Ambassador to
Poland: Robert Woods Bliss, for
mer Ambassador to Argentina, and
Wendell Berge and Stanley Posner,
attorneys.
A. Powell Davis, Washington
clergyman, and Clarence K. STREET,
longtime advocate of world union.
are on the Board of Directors of
the committee.