Evening star., 1949-08-07
Council Of Europe
To Open Strasbourg
Sessions Tomorrow
sv the Associated Press

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6.-Western Europe's top political
leaders meet here Monday to try
to make a five-century dream OF
union come true.
It's sponsors hope this inaugural
session of the Council of Europe
will be a long step toward d real
United States of Europe.
For the first time in history, a
permanent committee of minis
ters and a consultative assembly
will unite Britain. France, Italy.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Swed-
en-, Norway. Denmark, Ireland
and Luxembourg. GREECE and
Turkey probably will be added
almost at once.
The council cannot bind any OF
it's member countries. 1t only gives
advice. 1t is barred from, even
discussing military matters. Just
the same, it's debates and recon-
mendations will be heard with re-
spect.
SHuTcIll 70 Spcdk.
Winston Churchill is expected
to be the star orator. In addition,
the delegates will have a chance
to enjoy the hospitality of town
that has not had time to get bored
with international parleys ana has
ambitions to become the capital of
Europe. The hospitality includes
some of the fanciest food-and
fanciest prices-in France, which
is saying good deal.
This German-speaking French
city, about the size of Richmond,
Va. has been fought over by the
two peoples Tor big part of its
2,000-year history. The last war
destroyed several Ct its hotels and
historic monuments. There are
plenty of monuments still, but
the hotel shortage is serious and
there is no surplus of space for
Europe's new international civil
service.
The committee of ministers will
be the first to gather at Stras-
bourg'S ornate city hall. 1t con-
sists of the foreign ministers of
each member country, meeting in
secret unless they should decide
otherwise-which is unlikely.
Assembly Meets Wednesday.
They will have some tricky
questions to null over. To begin
with. are they to have the right
to speak and vote at the consul
tative assembly. as European gov
ernments do in their parliaments
Or is there to be a separation of
powers. as in the United States?
And what about the new West ,
German state-can it become a |
member?
After a week, the committee will
adjourn.
On Wednesday the consultative
assembly convenes in the great
hall of the University Of Stras-
bourg for a months session. BY
meeting in the summer. when
most European parliaments are on
vacation, the parliaments can
elect some of their own members
to be delegates to the assembly as
well. a .-~ "a
The assembly Is to. have b..
members. apportioned roughly
very roughly-on a population
basis. in this way:
United Kingdom. France and
Italy, 18 each; Belgium. Sweden
and the Netherlands. six each;
Denmark. Ireland and Norway,
four each. and Luxembourg three.
Delegates Vote Individually.
Each delegate can vote as he
|pleases. This provision promises
to furnish some new quirks in the
history of interna tional meetings.
UP to now they have always been
organized on the system of one
country. one vote-as in the
United Nations.
The main parties in each Of the
countries will be we'll represented,
except the Communists. They con-
slider the whole thing a plot
against the Soviet Union. |
However. plenty of British
Tories, French Socialists. Italian
Catholics, Belgian Liberals. Dutch
Protestants and Irish opponents
of partition are on hand to slice
the political pie.