The Socialist parties of Western Europe have moved several stages nearer the idea of creating a United States of Europe
SANDERSTEAD (SURREY)
The Socialist parties of Western Europe, after their two-day conference here, have moved several stages nearer the idea of creating a United States of Europe. Everything is still in the air, but there is cautious agreement that such a union might be practicable in the foreseeable future and ought to be studied now.
The British Labour party, the German Social Democrats (who are allowed an independent existence only in the Western zones of Germany), and the socialist parties of Austria, BeIgium, Holland, Luxemburg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland have all agreed to attend a conference to be called by the French Socialists in Paris on April 25-26. It will be open only to Socialists – an earlier French suggestion that it should be attended by representatives of trade union and "progressive" non-Socialist parties was frowned on by the Labour party and rejected by the conference.
The Greek socialists will be represented in Paris if the Greek Government allows their leader, Professor Svolos, a visa to leave Greece, and the anti-Communist sections of the Italian Socialist party have promised to be there. Mr Dalton, who led the Labour party's delegation here, described the anti-Communist Italian Socialists at a press conference tonight as "Socialists who have not thrown up the sponge of democracy." The Labour party and the other Western parties apparently hope that a new independent Socialist party is about to emerge. The expulsion – or what amounts to it – of the Nenni Socialists from the International Socialist Committee may encourage anti-Communist Italian Socialists to declare themselves.
The Western socialist parties would like to make the idea of European unity their own. They have some historical justification for claiming that united Europe is a socialist conception, but the modern copyright, as it were, has been largely taken over by Mr Churchill and his colleagues of the non-party United Europe Committee. The Labour party has no wish to play second fiddle to Mr Churchill, and it has refused to be drawn to his committee's conference at the Hague in May, even at the risk of appearing lukewarm about European union.
The other western parties have now been persuaded to look frigidly on the Hague in May and to turn their eyes instead towards Paris in April. Mr Dalton explained tonight that "certain persons associated with opposition parties and other non-government elements" had no right to be aggrieved if others did not join their gatherings. That was intended to dispose of Mr Churchill. A resolution to remove any lingering doubts was formally adopted by the conference. It declared:
"The ideal of European unity can only be saved from corruption by reactionary politicians if the socialists place themselves at the head of the movement for its realisation."
There will still be confusion, because members of various Socialist parties (including the Labour party) have already agreed to go to the Hague as individuals, but they will not represent Socialist parties.
The first parliamentary move to counter the motion in favour of a western European Union (which has won nine more signatories over the week-end) has been made by a dozen Labour members who prefer to think of "all European peoples" rather than of the western Europeans.
Supporters of the new amendment want the progressive transformation of the United Nations into a world government, and argue that the British government should work at once for "an integrated plan for maximum European production and inter-European exchange of goods and services vital to the life and wellbeing of all European peoples".
Until world government arrives "the British government should use its best endeavours to act as a reconciling and mediating force between the USSR and the USA, and to that end should forthwith divest itself of such military entanglements, co-operation, or alliances with either the USSR or the USA as might tend to hinder or embarrass its mediating functions". Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.
SANDERSTEAD (SURREY)
The Socialist parties of Western Europe, after their two-day conference here, have moved several stages nearer the idea of creating a United States of Europe. Everything is still in the air, but there is cautious agreement that such a union might be practicable in the foreseeable future and ought to be studied now.
The British Labour party, the German Social Democrats (who are allowed an independent existence only in the Western zones of Germany), and the socialist parties of Austria, BeIgium, Holland, Luxemburg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland have all agreed to attend a conference to be called by the French Socialists in Paris on April 25-26. It will be open only to Socialists – an earlier French suggestion that it should be attended by representatives of trade union and "progressive" non-Socialist parties was frowned on by the Labour party and rejected by the conference.
The Greek socialists will be represented in Paris if the Greek Government allows their leader, Professor Svolos, a visa to leave Greece, and the anti-Communist sections of the Italian Socialist party have promised to be there. Mr Dalton, who led the Labour party's delegation here, described the anti-Communist Italian Socialists at a press conference tonight as "Socialists who have not thrown up the sponge of democracy." The Labour party and the other Western parties apparently hope that a new independent Socialist party is about to emerge. The expulsion – or what amounts to it – of the Nenni Socialists from the International Socialist Committee may encourage anti-Communist Italian Socialists to declare themselves.
The Western socialist parties would like to make the idea of European unity their own. They have some historical justification for claiming that united Europe is a socialist conception, but the modern copyright, as it were, has been largely taken over by Mr Churchill and his colleagues of the non-party United Europe Committee. The Labour party has no wish to play second fiddle to Mr Churchill, and it has refused to be drawn to his committee's conference at the Hague in May, even at the risk of appearing lukewarm about European union.
The other western parties have now been persuaded to look frigidly on the Hague in May and to turn their eyes instead towards Paris in April. Mr Dalton explained tonight that "certain persons associated with opposition parties and other non-government elements" had no right to be aggrieved if others did not join their gatherings. That was intended to dispose of Mr Churchill. A resolution to remove any lingering doubts was formally adopted by the conference. It declared:
"The ideal of European unity can only be saved from corruption by reactionary politicians if the socialists place themselves at the head of the movement for its realisation."
There will still be confusion, because members of various Socialist parties (including the Labour party) have already agreed to go to the Hague as individuals, but they will not represent Socialist parties.
The first parliamentary move to counter the motion in favour of a western European Union (which has won nine more signatories over the week-end) has been made by a dozen Labour members who prefer to think of "all European peoples" rather than of the western Europeans.
Supporters of the new amendment want the progressive transformation of the United Nations into a world government, and argue that the British government should work at once for "an integrated plan for maximum European production and inter-European exchange of goods and services vital to the life and wellbeing of all European peoples".
Until world government arrives "the British government should use its best endeavours to act as a reconciling and mediating force between the USSR and the USA, and to that end should forthwith divest itself of such military entanglements, co-operation, or alliances with either the USSR or the USA as might tend to hinder or embarrass its mediating functions". Reported by guardian.co.uk 10 hours ago.