A Plain Choice for Europe

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 144, 14 March 1931, Page 20

A Plain Choice for Europe

(( A PLAIN choice lies before European nations to-day. They must either find some method of drawing closer together. 7* / % instead of drawing-further apart, in military, political, and X. A, economic policy—-dr else they must think of the future, and plan for the future, in terms of preparation for the next great war. If anyone be inclined to regard these phrases as those of alarmist exaggeration, let him turn to the resolution passed at Geneva by the members of the Committee on European Federation, all of -them Foreign Ministers in their respective Governments,” says the “Economist,” which goes on to quote the first part of the foreign minister’s resolution, which ran as follows:— “As the result of our discussions and Conversations during the past few days concerning the problems which our Governments have respectively to face, it has become plain that economic recovery is now being hindered by lack of confidence in the’ eburse of future events, due to widespread political anxiety. ’ ' “That anxiety 'has been increased by irresponsibile talk in various quarters concerning the possibility of international war. , 1 “We recognise that there are political difficulties in Europe at the present time, and ihat these difficulties have been accentuated by the economic instability and unrest which the world economic depression has caused. “The best service we can render toward meeting the economic position is the firm assurance of European peace. We therefore declare as foreign,, ministers, or responsible representatives of European States, that we are resolutely determined to use the machinery of the League to prevent any resort to violence.” The "Economist” then goes on to remark with significance:— “Those who are familiar with official phraseology will realise that in these words lies a very formidable and striking recognition of a dangerous situation, to meet which the Foreign Ministers announce their determination to ‘use the machinery of the League to prevent any resort to violence.’ Foreign Ministers customarily deal in soothing words. When, as here, they unite to give us a picture of a Europe talking of war, it is time for the world to listen with all its attention. Ex-Prime Minister of Holland. “The warning of the Ministers, particularly in its bearing on the economic aspects of Europe's dangerous situation, was heavily underlined by M. Colijn, who gave it as his deliberate opinion that, nearly four years after the World Economic Conference had unanimously called a halt in tariff rivalry, the present situation is worse than in 1027. Here are some points from M. Colijn’s speech : — “ ‘Recent conferences had shown that, with one possible exception, the Governments did not find themselves able to enter into collective tariff negotiations. “ ‘The conference on the treatment of foreigners had been a failure “ ‘ln consequence, people in a good many countries had lost all, faith in the economic work of the League. “ ‘The opposition to narrow economic nationalism was weakening. “‘Sooner or later Free Trade countries would no longer be able to.resist the forces of Protection, and the removal of their moderating influence would leave the way open to a general tariff war. •“The menace of a tariff war constituted a grave obstacle to a closer understanding between nations.', / “That .is the deliberate diagnosis, not of a pessimist, a dreamer, or a distant- observer, but of a man who, after being Prime Minister of

Holland, has devoted enthusiastic energies to forwarding the successive practical attempts by the League to promote'sanity in international economic P ° /' “Unfortunately, it is-difficult to quarrel seriously with his-conclu-sions. and we are left to face the question whether there is any way out of this economic warfare, which, if it continues, must be a main factor in perpetuating the public psychology fear and insecurity, and can only lead Europe ultimately , into the paths of opeu and destructive conflict. “Is there any light anywhere? is there any new sign or omen which suggests the possibility of a new avenue of approach by which national economic policies may be brought nearer to harmony? We think that there arcsome gleams of light on the dark horizon. One comes from an unlikely quarter, namely, the Balkans, which has grievously earned its reputation as the danger spot of Europe. A Notable Move. I “At successive conferences at Athens, Warsaw, Bucharest and Sinaia the seeds have been sown of closer economic liaison between the States of Eastern Europe. Another gleam comes from just that quarter of Europe from which it might have been expected—from Scandinavia and tlie ‘Low Countries' which differ from other Continental States in that they are not in the least contemplating the possibility of fighting each other or anyone else, and, moreover—partly, no doubt, for that very reason—have always adhered to a low tariff policy and eschewed the temptations of nnr row economic nationalism. “Just before Christmas, Norway, Sweden. Denmark, Holland ami Belgium signed an agreement at Oslo, undertaking to make no alteration in their Customs tariffs henceforward without giving due notice to their co-partners in the agreement. The text of this convention is not yet available in London, and fuller judgment must await its publication. But we do suggest here and now that this move has a peculiar significance which should not be overlooked by the British Government. “Europe, says M. Colijn, is ‘going from bad to worse’ in the matter of tariff warfare. Here, on the other hand, is. a group of five European countries, with an aggregate commerce of over £1.150 millions, or 9 per cent, of the world’s international trade, concerting between themselves measures for stabilising their tariffs on a level which is very low compared with the Continental average—treading, in fact, the very road on to which Britain has long been trying to lead the other nations. Promising and Timely. “Many difficulties may yet beset this new international agreement. But its initiation is promising and most timely at a moment when the rest of Europe is threatening to move the -other way. We profoundly hope our Government is alive to its importance, and is prepared to lend to it all the encouragement in its power. “From the British point' of view it should be an axiom of our policy to show the utmost willingness to co-operate with any nation or group of nations which sets out to check the mad race in the building of tariff walls; from the broader standpoint of General European interests, it is by that policy alone that we may most helpfully use our influence towards restoring that degree of economic understanding and common sense which must be a condition of Europe's success in the hard struggle to regain security, peace and prosperity.”