Evening star., 1950-06-05
The Schumon Plan Moves Forward

Despite Britain'S decision to remain aloof
from it cat least for the PRESENT. France Western
Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxembourg have now agreed to negotiate to-
gether in an effort to make reality of the So
called Schuman Plan. This is potentially revolu
tionary development full Of spectacularly
bright promise. For if 1t can be carried forward
to success-the "if," of course, is an extremely
big one-it will set up powerful guarantees
against the threat of new war among the
participants and at the same time constitute
long step forward toward the integraton Of
Western europe as whole.
AS first proposed last month by French For
eign Minister Robert Schuman, the plan calls
for treaty establishing "joint high authority
endowed with supranational power to pool the
iron and steel resources of France, Germany and
all other European countries willing to become
signatories to the pact. Under the authority,
the participants would follow strict uniform
rules governing their production and marketing
of coal and steel; would do away with their Gus
toms duties on the two products; would eliminate
discriminatory freight rates among themselves;
would jointly agree on the sales prices of their
joint output; would equalize the wages and living
conditions of the workers involved; and would
carry out common program aimed at improving
their productivity, stimulating their mutual
economic progress, and promoting further ad-
vanceS toward the ancient ideal of continent
wide federation.
Obviously, since coal and steel are in a sense
the fe-olood of all modern economies land
therefore things of prime political significance
as welD, such plan, if successfully put into
effect, could be developed into lasting union
of friendship that would vastly increase the
strength of the Western Europeans and their
ability to support themselves in keeping with
Twin cfo <ho
Soviet satellites have a standing invitation to
join it, it could act as magnetic force on those
satellites and thus tend to increase the KremlinS
difficulties behind the Iron Curtain Finally
even If the imperialistic Russian dictatorship
succeeds in holding on to its present empire,
the pooling project-again assuming that it can
really be made to work-would greatly enhance
the position of the free world in the international
balance of powel.
With all that said, however, it must be added
that the Schuman Plan is still too much in the
formative stage to warrant anything but
qualified hopes for its success. Although already
approved in principle by six nations, the forth
coming negotiations to effectuate 1t will have
to deal with number of decidedly difficult and
complex problems. London's cool and aloof att-
tude toward it at this stage-an attitude based on
number of considerations, including Brtain's
non continental geographical status, its special
ties with the Commonwealth countries and the
Labor governments reluctance to join in pro-
gram that might undercut its socialist planning
is one of the many things indicating that the
project faces lot of obstacles. Furthermore,
wholly apart from the question of surrendering
national sovereignty, certain vested interests in
France, Germany and the other negotiating
powers may yet upset the whole undertaking.
Nevertheless, despite these and kindred
MISUNDERSTANDING 1tv NJ
guarding against the dangers of cartelization
and excessive governmental controls-the
Schuman Plan is so rich in promise that every
effort should be made to put it into effective
operation. It's potentialities for good can hardly
be exaggerated. Something very much like 1T
is essential to the economic and political
salvation of the Western Europeans.