Call For United Western Europe Si Face Of Huge Soviet Armed Might

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23313, 24 July 1950, Page 5

Call For United Western Europe Si Face Of Huge Soviet Armed Might

(N.Z.P.A.— Reuter—Copyright.)

LONDON, July 21

Mr. Winston Churchill, addressing a United Europe rally tonight at the Albert Hall, said: “The Europe we are planning must ultimately unite all European peoples, including the peoples now behind the Iron Curtain.”

Mr. Churchill was presiding at 1 a mass meeting to start a nationwide campaign to interest the public in the work and ideals of the United Europe Movement.

With him on the platform were two other former Prime Ministers —M. Paul Ramadier and M. Paul Reynaud. both of France.

Also on the platform were representatives of Germany. Belgium, Scandinavia and other European countries.

Mr. Churchill told the rally: “There is no doubt that communism as an ideology is losing ground in all countries where free speech is allowed and Parliamentary institutions thrive.

First Blow in Hot War

“For some time now Western Europe has been living under strains and pressures from the Communist cold war. But’ it is in the Far East and not in Europe that the first blow of what 1 call the hot war has fallen.”

■ Mr. Churchill said it was three years since the United Europe Movement had its first Dublic meeting at Albert Hall. What was then but an idea was today becoming one of the dominating facts in world affairs. '

“The progress we have made towards our goal in these three years has far outstripped all that we dared to hope for. Even with the entry of Germany, however, half Europe still remains outside. Unless a strong, united and valiant Europe can be created there is little hope of peace, freedom or civilisation for the rest of mankind."

Soviet Rearming Day and Night

M. Reynuad told the meeting that Russia today possessed the strongest army in the world—l7o infantry divisions, 35 armoured divisions and 60 artillery divisions. “She is working night and day, Sundays as well, to rearm,” he said. “Millions of prisoners, enslaved men, women and children are toiling at this work.” M. Revnaud added that the peacetime effectiveness of the Russian Army amounted to 4,500.000 men and trained reserves amounted to 25,000,000. A group of German generals recently estimated that Russia also possessed 100,000 tanks and the biggest submarine fleet in the world. If war suddenly broke out the Russians would most likely be in Calais and Brest before any British or American division could land in France. “With modern weapons, the situation would be severe.” he said. “It would also be an ideological war. the most ferocious type of war there is. A confederation of countries of Western Europe must be created at once.”