PEACE PROBLEMS

Evening Star, Issue 25565, 18 August 1945, Page 7

PEACE PROBLEMS

THE FUTURE OF EUROPE MR CHURCHILL'S WARNING LONDON, August 16. " The present regime in Germany 'was purely provisional. It would not be possible for the Allies to continue indefinitely bearing the whole responsibility, with masses of Germans on their hands expecting to be fed," said Mr Churchill, reviewing the Potsdam decisions in the House of Commons. Mr Churchill said: "I therefore strongly advise the encouragement of the assumption of ■ responsibility by trustworthy German local bodies." Mr Churchill warned the Commons not to delude theiilselyes into believing that the first conference of the victors was free from disappointment and anxiety. "It would be wrong to conceal a possible divergence of views which existed among the victors about the state of affairs in Eastern and Middle Europs," he said, adding that he did not blame Mr x\ttlee or Mr Bevin for this fact. "We British have had, very early and increasingly, to the limitations of our power and influence in the gaunt world that is arising from the ruins of this hideous war. I must put on record that in my opinion the provisional western frontier agreed upon for Poland, comprising ono-quarter of the arable land of Germany, is not a good augury for the future of Europe. I think a mistake has been made to which the Polish Government has been an ardent partner by going far beyond what necessity or equity should require." DISPLACED GERMANS. Mr Churchill said he was particularly concerned over reports of the conditions under which the expulsion of Germans from Poland was being carried out. Eight million or 9,000,000 people lived_ in these regions before the war, of which the Polish Government said that there were still 1,500,000 not yet expelled. Millions would have to take refuge within the British and American lines, thus increasing the food stringency in our sectors. " But enormous numbers are unac-f counted for. Where have they gone? What is their fate? '■' he asked. Mr Churchill expressed dissatisfaction at the totalitarian trend in certain European countries. " There are millions of homes in Poland, Czecho-

Slovakia, and Yugoslavia iii which fear is the main pre-occupation of family life," he declared. " The. freedom from fear referred to in the Atlantic Charter has been interpreted as freedom from fear of invasion by a foreign country, but that is not the fear of ordinary European families to-night. Their fear is of the policeman knocking at the door."

Mr Churchill urged the Government in its foreign policy to strike a continuous note of freedom and fair play. After saying that he was anxious to avoid controversial questions, he added that he hoped Mr Attlee would soon define Professor Laski's precise authority and explain the letter's statement that the Brifish policy towards Greece had entirely changed. Professor Laski also appeared to contemplate vehement intervention in, Spain. If that was the Government's Mr Attlee. ought to say so. MR ATTLEE'S REPLY.

Mr Attlee,. replying, said, that Mr Churchill knew that Professor Laski, on common ground with himself, had a somewhat ebullient phraseology. (Laughter.) Professor Laski, like anybody else, claimed the. rights' of individual action, and had the right to express his view, but Ministers laid down the Government policy, and any newspaper, foreign Fower, or politician, thinking the Government's policy was laid down by anyone except the Labo.ur Ministers was greatly mistaken. Mr Attlee said the war had left behind, difficult problems, and they must be careful not to give false impressions. He was not replying to Mr Churchill negarding changes of population in Central Europe, but at Potsdam, agreement had been reached on many subjects, andi he hoped others would be solved at the meetings of Foreign Affairs Ministers*. A number of others must remain for settlement {it the Peace Conference. Many ■ Go-> vernment\ in Europe did not rest on the sure foundations of popular election. It was optimistic to _ expect the political life of these countries to settle down evenly, quickly and smoothly. It was the Government's intention to se 4 cure that the'people's will should prevail. The Government was looking forward to the emergence in those countries of a democratic Government by free election. It was necessary to realise, also, that the economic position was very grave. Many people, despite all that could be done, would go cold andi hungry this winter. The reason was that the damage to communications was tremendous, and there was difficulty in free movement of supplies from one district to a.nother. One of the gravest difficulties was coal. All the liberated countries needed coal. There ■ was bound to be unemployment without it, and it was not there.