EUROPEAN FEDERATION

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22910, 5 January 1940, Page 4

EUROPEAN FEDERATION

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PSESS. Sir, —Long before the war started, the idea of a federal union of Europe was being sold through the frequent syndicated articles that have been appearing in the world press. The idea originates in the minds of a select few, self-elected, who covet power without responsibility. It is being made to appear that it represents the solution which the thinking people look to as the way of escape from the present impasse. In 1931. an organisation calling itself the Committee for Political and Economical Planning, now known as "PJ3.P.," was formed in London. In the first issue of its privately circulated journal, "Planning," there appeared the fpllowing notice: "You may use without acknowledgement anything which appears in this broadsheet, on the understanding that the broadsheet and the group-are not publicly mentioned, either in writing or otherwise." What modesty! The first chairman was Sir Basil Blackett, a director of the Bank of England; the present chairman is Mr Israel Moses Sieff. The Governor of the Bank pt England is a director of "The Times," and it is safe to say that any new viewpoints which appear in that august journal are more likely to be designed than accidental. The "P.E.P. V journal for October 4, 1938, had this to say: "We have started from the position that only in war, or under threat of war, will a British Government embark on large scale planning." In the November 3 issue of "The Times" a privileged but anonymous writer looks "for the creation of conditions in the economic as well as in the political sphere, favouring a movement towards a federal solution as an escape from the necessity of fighting a major European war. every 25 years;" That savours of "P.E.P."; but what a diabolical threat is implied! Continuing, he says, "We have in being to-day in the Supreme Council and the inter-Allied High Command. a standing organ of government with a powerful influence over two distinct sovereign States, and a combination of armed forces under unified control. If by common consent these arrangements could be kept functioning after the war

it would only be necessary to add to the Supreme Council representatives of other States,, and to add to the armed forces contingents from ex-neu-tral and ex-enemy countries in order to have an international organ of government with an international police force at its disposal." There is much more of interest that can be culled from "The Times" if I could have the space. However, now we know, we can sit back and watch M. Daladier and the London editors do their stuff.— Yours, etc., XUUIBI W; B . BRAY. January 4, 1940.

TO THB BBITOa OF THB FSKSB Sir —lt is written somewhere, "The old order changeth, our little systems : have their day." The New Testament ' tells us that Jesus, whom Christians believe to be God, came to this earth to establish a new world' order; a world in which men would seek to live in the Divine Presence of everlasting peace. According to a British Official Message reported in "The Press" this day is at hand, or at least near enough to make some of us sit up and do some hard thinking. Those who follow day by day the London newspapers know that diehard Conservatives meet in conference (or is it called a symposium?) with Communist M.P.'s and such men as Norman Angell, Julian Huxley, H. _<j. Wells and other men of action, seeking the best way to bring the bright new world to earth. The member for Barnstaple, speaking for the symposium, said: "The old world order failed, not because our system was slightly wrong, but utterly wrong. Abroad, we made every mistake it was possible to make. Such a record did not spring from right ideas wrongly interpreted, but from fundamentally wrong ideas, and it will be the supreme task, of humanity to make sure the reconstruction of the world' after the war will not be in the hands of the same kind of men as those who failed after the last." —Yours, etc., CATHOLIC TRUTH. January. 3, 1940.

CO THE KDITOB 01 TBS PBBSB. ' Sir, —The idea of a federation of European States is a good one, provided that the innovations are comprehensive enough. The objection to nationalism and self-sufficiency is wron?. When considering, the long aim of the federation idea the culminating point is a "self-sufficient world." This in my opinion will be more quickly achieved if each nation, big and small, is encouraged and helped to achieve the fullest production ana development of all its resources. This federation idea should extend to all nations. But if a European federation only is possible at first, the first move would be tp set up a federation central bank. Internally the federation should use a federation currency and the central bank should be used as a source to supply internal currency to each nation to obtain the fullest productive supply from all its I national resources. This should be accompanied by a plan to pool all surplus national production. From this pool each nation should be able to draw its share of products which it cannot produce. Then the remaining surpluses should be exchanged with nations outside the federation for products not produced by the federation. There should be a fixed price for all commodities within the federation and a gradual adjustment of costs to work within the fixed price. Price stabilisation would enable the full amount of. federation currency to be used for development and production without the dangers of inflation which are apt to accompany a large issue of money and fluctuating prices. The New Zealand Government should invite a financial and economic expert'from each belligerent nation to come to New. Zealand, away from the confusion and stress of war. study NewlZealand's system, and study European problems from a distance. — Yours, etc.. . kaye H OE. January 4. 1940. "