DEFENCE OF EUROPE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27038, 13 May 1953, Page 9

DEFENCE OF EUROPE

Germany Seen As

Main Problem

LONDON; May 11. The main problem in Europe was Germany, said the Prime Minister (Sir Winston Churchill) in his foreign affairs speech in the House of Commons today. If the United States had taken Britain’s advice, the Western allies would not have withdrawn from the front line which the armies had reached until agreement had been reached with Russia on many points of difference about the occupation.

The east of Germany, with more than a third of the population, had fallen into great misery of oppression, while Western Germany had entered a new and remarkable relationship with the West. The Prime Minister recalled that he had held for many years that there could be no safety or freedom in Western Europe except by laying aside for ever the ancient feud between Teuton and Gaul. Seven years ago, at Zurich, he had appealed to France to take Germany by the hand and lead her back into the European family, and great progress had been made since then. Some of it was due to the spur of the enormous military strength of Soviet Russia, but much was inspired by the cause of a united Europe. “We have Strasbourg, and all it stands for, and it is our duty to fortify its vitality and authority tirelessly as the years roll on. We have the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation, which has done such beneficent work in consolidating the material strength and sense of unity of the European countries. We have the European Payments Union, and there is also the European Coal and Steel Community. , , “Finally, we have, or I sincerely hope we will have before long, the European Defence Community, so long delayed, but so intensely needed.” He said that Britain did not intend to be merged in the Federal European system. Britain was with them, but not of them. had repeatedly guaranteed to help to the utmost in the defence of France against an aggressive attack, and had also declared her interest in building up the European defence system. This should remove fears -that Western Germany would preponderate in the combined organisation. “We accept the principle that there is a specially close relationship between ourselves and the European Defence Community,” the Prime Minister said. “In anticipation of the coming into effect of the treaty we are already working out with members of the

community measures which will be necessary, both on the military and political side. On the military side we will ensure effective and continuous co-operation between our forces and those of the E.D.C.” Sir Winston Churchill said that there would be close association in the air, in the Army and in the Navy. On the political side, Britain intended to consult constantly and earnestly about problems of common concern. Britain had stationed her largest military force with the French on the Continent. She had the strongest armoured forces that existed between the Elbe and the Rhine and her troops in Europe were under the command of General Ridgway, the N.A.T.O. commander-in-chief. “What more can we give without completely merging ourselves with the European military organisation?” he asked. “We do our best for them, we fight with them under the orders of the Supreme Commander. “On the Continent we share their fate. We have no divisional formation in our own island. .... “No nation has ever run such risks in times which I read about or lived through and no nation has ever received so little recognition for it” _