Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-12
Churchill Leads Fiqht
To Bar Governments
Curbs On New Council
BY the Associated Press

STRASBOURG, France, Aug.
Lied by Winston Churchill,
the new Council Of Europe's first
assembly today fought for greater
independence from control by the
IL member governments.
Mr.. Churchill, fiery advocate Of
united Europe, called for the
establishment of the Consultative
Assembly Of Europe as a free
parliament.
In one of his first speeches to
the 101-member assembly yes
terday, Mr.. Churchill raped
what he called Gripping limita-
ton" on assembly debate imposed
by the councils Committee OF
Foreign Ministers.
The Committee of Ministers,
representing the IL governments
which formed the Council OF
Europe, is the guiding body OF
the new European organization
The committee has the power to
decree what subjects shall be de-
bated by the Consultative AS
sembly.
Hope for Real Parliament.
Mr.. Churchill and other advo-
Gates of some form Of European
federation hope the assembly may
be the forerunner to a genuine
parliament of Europe, with legis-
lative powers cutting across ma
tional boundaries. At present the
council-divided into a Consulta-
tive Assembly and a Committee OF
Ministers-has only advisory pow
ers to promote greater European
unity.
Inspired by Mr.. Churchills
oratory, the assembly delegates
clearly indicated they will seek
greater authority than the minis
terial committee intends they
shall have.
First indication of the revolt
came when Mr.. Churchill and
other delegates objected to what
they called a three-day gag rule
Under the rule nothing can be
added to the Assembly's agenda
without the Ministerial Commit.
tees approval. Requests for such
additions must be made within
three days of the Assembly's open
ing.
"Crippling Limitation"
Mr.. Churchill called the rule a
Gripping limitation which has
never been accepted by any as
sembly worthy Of the name free
why should this arbitrary lin
it of three days be thrust down
our throats?" Mr.. Churchill de.
manded. "The Assembly must al
its outset show that 1t has the
kind of spirit upon which the life
of parliaments have been born"
The applause which greeted the
British wartime Prime Minister
challenge showed the bulk OF the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS all differ
tent political groups except the ex-
trenies. Of Communism and. TaS-
cisfn4-did indeed have this spirit
Belgium's Paul-Henri spaak
unanimously elected Assembly
president yesterday, appointed a
E15-member committee to meet
with the Ministerial Committee to
SEEK .abolftiofi of the gag rule. 80
| The committee was to report
back to the Assembly at today's
session.
Warns on Too swift Action.
Some members, led by Frances
Pierre Henri Teitgen, verged on
open revolt when Mr.. Teitgen
moved an amendment to strike
out the three-day gag rule. Mr..
Spaak ruled, however, that such
a motion was out of order.
Mr.. Spaak, also regarded as an
ardent supporter of European
federation, warned the delegates
against trying to move too swiftly.
1T is not possible to remake
Europe to our hearts desire in
one month" Mr.. Spaak declared.
"You must make choice among
problems. After this session,
there will be others. It is in
dispensable that something real
and practical result from our
work."