Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1945. ECONOMIC CONFERENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 134, 18 March 1948, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1945. ECONOMIC CONFERENCE

Outside of the Foreign Ministers’ conferences, all of which have so far proved abortive, that at present being held by 16 European nations in Paris is by far the most important held since the end of the war. It is a conference which may well determine whether Europe is to survive, through unity, or go under because of lack of co-operation and understanding. On the eve of the conference, the British Foreign Minister, Mr Ernest Bevin was asked to say how he thought the talks would go, and he replied that he was very broadminded. It was an evasive reply but,it struck a note which, if adopted, will prove a very sound basis for the conversations. If the delegates are broadminded enough to see the other persons viewpoint; if they are broadminded enough to think and act for the.good of all and not be tied to their own individual outlook, then far-reaching results should be achieved. The attitude in which Britain has approached the conference was summed up in the remark made by. Mr Bevin, and the attitude of France was explained by M. Bidault, who said that he was still hoping for Eastern co-operation. That meant that he still had a feeling that Russia might see the error of her ways and join in. It was perhaps too much to hope for/ but it showed that the Western powers were still willing to cooperate in the interests of the future well-being of all the nations. As in the case of all talks of the kind, the conference can only make broad decisions, and leave the working out of them to another body, which Mr Beyin has termed a continuing organisation. In the British view it is desirable that the continuing organisation should be designed to develop common economic policies rather than to ‘‘impose” cooperation from outside. It is considered in London that each country member should be represented on the continuing organisation by a strong national delegation headed by a permanent representative of the senior official standing and residing at the head of the organisation (which has not yet been chosen). The organisation will also require an international secretariat. This organisation presumably will consist of 16 members, quite sufficient to be workable. The main point is that it will be truly representative of all who intend to partake of Marshall aid. What has to be remembered is that this movement is purely economic, and has no association directly with -the Western Union, proposal, although it may assist in that dilection.