CHURCHILL OPPOSED

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 February 1947, Page 5

CHURCHILL OPPOSED

LABOUR EXECUTIVE’S ADVICE TO MEMBERS I UNITED EUROPE COMMITTEE [N.Z.P.A. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] LONDON, Feb. 6. The national executive of the British Labour Party has advised members of the party not to support the United Europe Committee which has been launched under the leadership of Mr. Churchill. In a statement, Mr. Morgan Phillips, secretary of the Labour Party, said: “The National Executive realises that it is thoroughly desirable to encourage maximum co-opera-tion between the nations of Europe. Such co-operation, however, is scarcely likely to be stimulated by an organisation led by Mr. Churchill. “The future peace and progress of Europe depend upon the success of the United Nations and therefore on the strengthening of friendly collaboration between Russia, the United States, and Britain. Mr. Churchill, however, explicitly excludes Russia from united Europe which he envisages. This fact, coupled with Mr. Churchill’s known record and opinions regarding Russia, means that the committee s policy will be interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as aiming at the elimination of Russian influence from Europe.” The Daily Herald, in a leading article, describes this decision by the party executive as “very satisfactory,” and says'that even if the aims of. the committee were above criticism the fact that Mr. Churchill is its chairman would be sufficient to arouse Soviet antagonism. The Daily Herald says: ‘We do not want to appease Soviet Russia, to make excuses for the obstructionist attitude of her spokesmen at many an international conference or to condone the malevolence of her propagandists in the press and on the radio when they comment on British policy. But we refuse to believe that the day is past when patience and tolerance on the part of the Western Powers can induce a friendlier attitude on the pari of the Soviet authorities. If that day is east then indeed the United Nations could be writen off as a failure and states would be justified m seeking whatever alliances they could muster as an insurance against the com m “But r the United Nations is; not;a failure” says the Daily Heiald. “Slowly in spite of enormous ob- • stacles and tortuous difficulties gaining strength. Any movement which may even appear to div Russia from the rest of E } ,r ope in our view an impediment t Great Power collaboration on w this peace depends.” , Six Socialists, headed by the publisher, Mr. Victor Gollancz, are among the foundation members of the United Europe Committee.