West German Plea For Membership Of European Parliament

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23219, 3 April 1950, Page 7

West German Plea For Membership Of European Parliament

(N.Z.P.A.—Renter—Copyright.) ;(10.45 a.m.) BONN, April 2. 1 The West German Chancellor, Dr. K Adenauer, today made a dramatic appeal for the formation of a Parliament of Europe with power to act as the only means of preventing the annihilation of Europe through another war. 1 He emphasised that such a Parliament should be formed with the greatest possible speed. Germany should then be invited to join as a fully fledged member of it. “One should realise that a line must be drawn once and for all through the past.

f “A people of 50,000,000, if those of Berlin are included, must become a co-equal partner in the European family all the more since they lie in the very heart of Europe in such an important position on the very frontier of possible conflict,” he said. Dr Adenauer said that Germany was weak and helpless and he appealed to the Allied Governments to give Germany a firm security guarantee. The situation is much more serious than most people think. The fate of Germany is the fate of the countries, of England, France, Italy ana the Scandinavian countries there is not the slightest doubt about that.’ Europe Would Be Lost

Dr. Adenauer said that if the Russions succeeded in bringing West Germany under their influence the rest of Europe would be lost to Western thinking. This meant that everything possible must be done to incorporate West Germany into Western Europe economically and politically. “The United States has already started such a programme with the Marshall Plan,” he said. “If the political integration of Germany does not follow the economic one, Marshall Aid will, in the long run, have failed. “Therefore, it would be only logical for the Americans to see to the political integration of Germany with Europe also.” Referring to Mr. Churchill as a “great statesman, probably the greatest we have today/’ Dr. Adenauer said that Mr. Churchill saw things clearly and spoke out clearly as to what should be done. Churchill May Save Europe “In his time he saved England. Now he is in a similar position with regard to Europe and the whole world. It is regrettable that Mr. Bevin takes such a cool attitude to this whole question of European union.” Dr. Adenauer said that Mr. Churchill’s advice that Britain and France should together include Germany in their partnership hit the nail right on the head.

“If France believes she cannot act alone in closer relationship with Germany, she can easily do it in concert with Great Britain. We must do away with constant mistrust. We must make a new start.”

Dr. Adenauer said that a StalinTruman meeting without a positive outcome would leave the situation worse than before. Such a meeting should come as a climax to a long exchange of views between the two countries only if an undedstanding was really in sight.