Evening star., 1949-08-28

unreality OF calling their disunit-
ed world the United Nations. Here
one feels that the deputies are
far from resigned about the pres
ent state of Europe. They really
want to turn the water into wine
or at any rate, into grape juice
and perhaps later into wine.
Restless From Start
Again and again this idea crops
up. And there are at least two
other themes which seem to be
worrying deputies Of practically
every shade Of opinion. One is the
makeup of the Council of Europe
itself. From the very first sessions
when it was debating rules OF pro-
cedure, it was obvious that the
Assembly was restless. 1t did not
like being so tightly controlled by
the Committee Of Ministers. That
first vague resentment is now
crystallizing into some quite spe-
cific demands.
One is that the Assembly-and
not as at present the Committee
of Ministers-should decide what
it may discuss. All the delegates
are members of national parlia-
ments and it is perhaps natural
that they should resent, most OF
all, these gags on their freedom OF
speech. Another popular proposal
suggested by Mr.. Churchill among
others is that the European AS
sembly should be able to appeal
directly to the IL national parlia-
ments. Under the existing rules
of the statute every Assembly
proposal has to be carefully
screened by the Committee OF
Ministers, where, of course, each
foreign minister Is armed with
the vote.
British Conservative deputies
led by Harold Mcmillan, have also
suggested that the secretariat
here should not be responsible
only to the ministers, but that
the Assembly should have its own
civil servants. This again seems
quite q popular idea. In fact, the
Assembly would like to make it.
self better heard and better
served, less of a once-a-year talk
ing shop and more of a per-
serious, hard-working Or
ganization with permanent COM
mittees and permanent links with
the governments and parliaments
Of Europe.
Question of Vacant Seats
The second recurrent theme is
what Mr.. Churchill called the
empty seats" He suggested that,
as a symbol, the Assembly should
leave empty seats in case the prod
igal sons Of Europe should return
from behind the iron curtain. But
more than Eastern Europe is in
volved. There is the question of
Germany, which has been dis
cussed much more exhaustively
in private than in public here.
Mr.. Churchill's proposal to in
vite Germany to the council has
been widely discussed in private.
But to Judge by the very scat
tered illusions to this question in
the Assembly's debates so far, and
the complete absence Of any refer
ence to Germany in the commune
ques of the Committee of Min
listers, it might appear as if Mr..
Churchill spoke only for himself.
In fact, though. this has been one
of the recurrent topics wherever
delegates and their hangers-on
get together. Many of them, in
deed, came here anxious to have
q full discussion Of the German
question in the Assembly.
But from the start they were
rather frightened away from it.
Just as they descended on Stras-
bourg. the demagogy Of German
electioneering was reaching its
climax. Some very nationalistic
speeches by German party leaders
raised many hackles in France.
And the abortive French proposal
to invite the Saar territory into
the Council Of Europe as a sep
arate entity did not help matters.
Then there is the question OF
seats for the overseas dependen-
cies Of countries like Britain,
France, Belgium and Holland.
There is a widespread idea here
that by bringing them to Stras-
bourg, too, Europe can redress
the balance Of her losses in the
East by drawing on the political
and economic strength of UNDER
developed Europe overseas. What
lies behind all these empty
seats" is, In fact, exactly how far
the Council of Europe should
spread itself. But, as Lord Layton
said, the larger the number of ma
tions in a federation, the fewer
the functions that can be federal
ized.
All this again is poaching. BY
the statute the Assembly is not
to discuss membership.
That is reserved for the minis
ters. But there seems to be little
any one can do to stop 1t.
Fast and Slow Groups
Both those themes-the powers
Of the Assembly and the member
ship Of the Council Of Europe
have been brought up from left,
right and center. Where there is
much more difference Of opinion
Is how fast or slow Europe should
20 toward federation. Very rough
" speaking. there are three main
fast, slow or step by