Evening star., 1953-02-01
Britoin's Role in Europe

In his impressive address to the National
Press Club the other day, Sir Roger Makins, the
new British Ambassador to the United States,
reafhrmed his governments opposition to the
Idea of making the United Kingdom an integral
part of the projected European Defense Com
munlty. At the same time, however, as If in
answer to Secretary of State Dulles apparent
dissatisfaction with this policy, he emphasized
the U. KS resolve ID to adhere to it's present
tar-reaching commitments to the North Allan
tic Treaty Organization and (2) to cooperate
closely with the EDO, whose six signatory DOW
ers France, Italy, West Germany, Belgium,
the Netherlands and Luxembourg are pledged
to merge their forces into single supranational
army within the command framework of the
NATO alliance.
Frances desire, which seems to be shared
In considerable measure by Mr.. Dulles is to
have Britain become full member of the EDO,
or at least to associate itself with the revolu-
tlonary project to much greater degree than
is contemplated at present. The desire is based
on two major considerations, among Others The
first Is that the French want this closer tie-up
with the United Kingdom because they look
upon it as something that would provide an
added guarantee against the possibility that
an aggression bent Germany may eventually
be reborn inside the European Defense Commu-
nifty. And the second is that such tie-up would
tend to stimulate faster progress toward genu-
Inc continental federation, political and eco
monica view that appears to loom especially
large in Mr.. Dulles thinking.
The British attitude, on the other hand is
that complete union with the continental states
would be impracticable and unworkable at least
at this stage, because of the unique relation
ships existing between the United Kingdom and
the globe -encircling Commonwealth of Nations
Thus as seen by Britons of all political colora-
tions, the U. K-aS the nerve center and banker
OF the far-flung sterling area and as an island
power whose economy differs markedly from
the economies of most of the free European
countries-iS in position more or less like that
of the United States. That is to say, it cannot
fully federate with those countries or Join them
unreservedly in such enterprises as the Schu-
man Plan or the single supranational army Of
the EDO.
Because it has taken this position, the
United Kingdom has been accused of dragging
its feet" in the Atlantic community, impeding
the common defense effort and discouraging
the trend toward continental unity. But Sir
Roger, in his Press Club speech, has argued per-
SuaSively to the contrary. In his words, "there
is no subject on which there has been so much
misunderstanding as the British attitude to
Europe" And to support his argument he has
cited such points as these: Cd That his country
has already established very close working
relationship with the Schuman coal-and-s steel
project (2) that it has been the first to ratify
the guarantees and declarations covering the
German peace contract and the EDO treaty;
(3) that its Foreign Secretary is chairman Of
the Organization for European Economic CO.
operation, and "a that its land forces now sta
toned on the continent stil constitute espe-