Evening star., 1950-06-22
a Great Task, Gentlemen

It would be naively wishful to expect the
Schuman Plan to accomplish economic and
political miracles in the near future. But the
fact that six nations are now seriously con-
ferring in Paris In an effort to effectuate it
(the six being France, Western Germany, Italy,
Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg
raises the very real hope that in the weeks
Immediately ahead vital decisions will be agreed
upon to begin putting flesh on the bare bones
of the idea.
The project, of course, faces many difficult
ties. French Foreign Minister Schuman, who
first proposed it six weeks ago and whose country
has assumed a new role Of leadership in con-
nection with it, is well aware of all the obstacles
the ancient suspicious, the economic rivalries,
the deep-rooted attachments to the old way of
doing things, the inertia bred by the stubborn
habits of the past. These must be overcome before
his plan can be put into effective operation.
Yet, as he has Just told the Paris conferees, the
countries of Western Europe share in common
a compelling need to overcome those obstacles
and integrate for the sake Of their individual
and collective survival-"a great task, gentle
men," in which 1--WE are not permitted to fail"
In essence, what the task calls for is the
creation of joint high authority to which the
participating countries would surrender meas
ure of their independence and sovereignty.
y,
be brought into being by solemn treaty, France,
Western Germany and all the other participants
would merge their coal and steel resources,
abolish their customs duties on the two products,
do away with discriminatory freight rates.
equalize the wages and living conditions of the
workers involved, abide by the authority's rules
governing the production, marketing and prices
Of their output, and work together on a common
program to promote their mutual economic
progress and a steady step-by-step advance
toward full integration.
1t is because of the novel, far-reaching and
potentially revolutionary nature of this plan
that the Paris conferees are likely to proceed
with great caution. Belgium and The Neither
lands, for example, have already indicated their
reluctance to go along with Mr.. Schuman's
request that the participants first agree on the
notwithstanding treaty, and then, after the
treatys ratification, work out special conventions
on the technical details of the coal-and-steel
pools actual operation. Apparently, before they
commit themselves unqualifiedly, the Belgians
and Dutch will insist on having a clear idea of
just how the project is to be put to work. The
whole undertaking, moreover, raises complex
questions as to the attitude of vested interests
in the conferring countries, safeguards against
the dangers Of cartelization, and the eventual
role of Britain, whose present aloofness tends
to darken the outlook for success.
Nevertheless as Mr.. Schuman has pointed
out all parties concerned are agreed on the
plans objectiveS, and even Britain-despite its
island position, its Commonwealth ties, and the
cooness OF its Laborites toward anything that
might interfere with their domestic socialist
planning-may yet join in the project, especially
If the Conservatives keep on acting as prod
to that end. In the circumstances with the
enterprise still in its beginning stage there is
good reason to be hopeful that the Paris con-
ference will succeed in laying the groundwork
for history making economic and political
union-a union capable of revolutionizng West
ern Europe and vastly strengthening the free
world as whole in the international balance
Of power.