Evening star., 1951-12-16
France and the Schumon Plan

The Schuman Plan for multinatonal coal
and-steel merger still has long way to go
before 1t can become working reality But the
French National Assembly has given it good
push forward by voting overwhelmingly-37 to
233-in favor of its ratification What this means
is that a resounding victory has been won not
only by Premier Plevens government but also by
all groups striving to speed up progress toward
the political and economic integration of free
Europe.
Foreign Minister Robert Schuman after
whom the plan has been named because he and
his country took the initiative in proposing it in
May of 1950-haS special reason to be gratified
by the Assenlbly's action For the action serves
as concrete evidence that he and the Pleven
government have powerful parliamentary sup
port (only the Communists and De Gaullists are
opposed) for what they have been doing to
restore France to role of key leadership on the
continent and to promote the gradual unifcation
OF Western Europe's clashing economies into
single cooperative community
1t is as yet too early, however, for unqualified
optimism. The French atifcation-which will be
complete after few more legislative formaties
-Solemnly commits France to the 50-year treaty
signed last April by the Foreign Ministers of the
six nations that have been working together to
put flesh on the bare bones of the Schuman Plan.
But only one other of these SiX-the Netherlands
has ratified to date The remaining four
Italy, Belgium Luxembourg and West Germany
must still act and there is no certainty that their
Parliaments will all be as affirmative as the
French and Dutch. Ancient nationalistic sus-
picionS, the stubborn habits of the past eco
nomc rivalries, inertia, vested interests, the
domestic politics of each separate country-these
and similar factors must still be reckoned with
as big obstacles
Yet, of the four countries that have thus far
failed to ratify only West Germany-whose Par
lament at Bonn is to debate the issue next
month-seems to show signs of possible adverse
vote on the treaty Dr. Konrad Adenauer's con-
servative government Is strong for the Schuman
Plan, but some members of his own party have
lately been lining up with the Socialists in
opposition. Nevertheless, although this has placed
rather large question mark over the project,
most observers feel reasonably confident that
BonnS final action-and that of Luxembourg,
Belgium and Italy as well-will be favorable. In
that case, with the 50-year commitments made,
the enterprise will then enter the phase where
the six participating nations will sit down to-
gether to work out special conventions on tech
nical details and to establish the actual operating
machinery.
1t requires only brief summary of the
treatys provisions to illustrate the far-reaching,
unprecedented and potentially revolutionary ma
ture OF this historic undertaking Thus, in broad
outline, what the Schuman Plan calls for Is
nothing less than the creation of Joint supra
national High Authority to which the pledged
powers would surrender large measure of their
sovereignty in order to do the following in
unison: % Merge their coal and steel resources,
90 eliminate their customs duties on the two
products which combined represent an annual
business of about $4 billion, (3) equalize the
wages and living conditions of the workers in
volved, (4 end discriminatory fright rates, (5)
abide by common rules on output, marketing and
prices, and (6) cooperate in promoting their
mutual economic progress in step-by-step
advance toward ever-broadening European inte-
grafton and unity
Quite obviously, even If the authorizing
treaty is promptly ratified by all the signatory
powers long time will be required to get such
an enterprise functioning smoothly But the
progress made up to now certainly encourages
the hope that very great success will be at
tanned in the end. France deserves the highest
commentator for the leadership it is showing
in promoting action Of kind that can revolu-
tionize the economic and political life of Western
Europe and vastly strengthen the free world as
a whole.