Manchester IOOF Officers installed THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a Newspaper. FRIDAY JUNE 13, 1947. A United States Of Europe?

Northern Advocate, 13 June 1947, Page 6

Manchester IOOF Officers installed

THE NORTHERN ADVOCATE Registered for transmission through the Post as a Newspaper. FRIDAY JUNE 13, 1947. A United States Of Europe?

The Group Installation of officers of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows was held in the Waipu Hall. Fifty-five officers and members were present from Royal, Whangarei, Waipu, Maungatapere and Taipuha lodges. Bro. R. A. McLean, P.G. (Waipu) was installing officer, assisted by Bros. K. G. McGregor, P.G., S. McCauley, P.A., A. Galloway. P.G.. and L. Keay. P.G.. who acted as conductors. At the conclusion of the installation addresses to newly-installed officers were given by Bros. H. N. McCarroll. P.G., A. W. Plaisted, P.G., A. E. Trigg, P.G.. and L. Price, P.G. The newly-installed officers replied suitably. Bro. R. A. McLean. P.G.. carried out the duties of installing officer in a very able manner. The Group Officer. Bro. L. Ward, P.G., thanked those present for their attendance and said that at the next meeting of the North Auckland Past Grands Lodge the Purple Degree would be conferred on those outgoing officers recommended. NEW PERSONNEL Following are the officers for the ensuing six months: Whangarei: N.G.. Bro. E. Stewart; V.G.. Sis. R. Crawshaw; E.S., Sis. V. Howson; 1.P.N.G.. Bro. I. Crawshaw. Waipu: N.G.. Bro. B. McLean; V.G.. Sis P. Grant; E.S., Bro. A. Dickson; 1.P.N.G., Bro. R. G. McLean Maungatapere: N.G., Bro. Jenkins; VG. Sis. S. Price; E.S., Bro. Stewart. Taipuha: N.G., Bro. Worthington; V.G.. Bro. Lowe; E.S., Bro. G. Allen; 1.P.N.G.. Sfs. Culham.

Mr J. Scott-Davidson was congratulated by his fellow Whangarei County councillors at a meeting today on being elected Auckland Provincial president of Federated Farmers. Members hoped that he would long remain in that position which they felt sure he would fill more than competently.

Much has been heard in recent months about the prospects of building a United States of Europe, and a great deal of thinking, realistic as well as unrealistic, is being devoted to the subject of European federation.

This is particularly the case in the United States of America, where, as has been revealed during the past week, opinion has moved in the direction of requiring unity among the nations of Europe as a condition precedent to the granting of American credits to individual countries.

A writer In a recent issue of the Christian Science Monitor says that the subject of European federation has come at a critical and propitious moment, for the people of the United States have been exercised over Henry Wallace’s proposal for a European New Deal, replete with a 15 billion dollar loan to Russia, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, over the apprehension of some sections that the Greek aid policy programme, without an over-all European policy, will be so much money down the drain.

In these circumstances, the idea of a United States of Europe has come suddenly as something meriting the closest attention of American policymakers.

Early in this year several prominent senators launched a resolution in Congress to make European federation a cardinal objective in United States policy, which is probably one of the reasons for the arresting announcement made by Secretary pf State Marshall last week.

The senators recognise that nationalism is still strong and strutting in Europe. They are aware that the Communist regimes of eastern Europe and the powerful Communist minorities in France, Italy and elsewhere are willing to denounce, “at the drop of a hammer and sickle.” any or all federation projects aimed directly at Russia, and as intending to build a new cordon sanitaire around the Soviet Union (because

proposed federations would embrace chiefly western Europe, excluding Russia.)

Admitting these obstacles, advocates of federation look at Europe s “Balkanised" customs barriers and trade restrictions, its polygot currencies and transport and its nations with unbalanced and unbalanceablc economies, such as Austria.

They also visualise how this vast expanse of 2,000,000 square miles and 200,000,000 inhabitants this cradle of western civilisation with its dynamo, the Ruhr, its great manufacturing cities, its plains of grain, its mines and foreign markets—could become a well integrated and prosperous economy if the trade walls and spite walls came down. Having perceived all this, as the Christian Science Monitor says, they reiterate Mr Attlee’s phrase: “Europe must federate or perish.” Obviously, it is added, the campaign is not peculiarly American, nor ever was, for an Austrian count in 1922 proposed a pan-Europe. Hitler tried in vain to unify Europe by force, Mr Churchill last year made a strong plea for unification, and a movement known as European Action has been inaugurated by a Dutch resistance leader.

Perhaps the most important of all is recent evidence that elements of the British Labour Party, including some of its Left Wing factions, are embracing the concept of a political and economic union of Western Europe. with Britain included.

These Labour members see the establishment of ,a Socialist, not a Communist, Commonwealth of Europe as the hope of all those middlesized nations of the West which would avoid being swept into either the American or the Russian orbit. Recent developments in Hungary, Bulgaria, and other Balkan countries suggest that Russia is adopting her own methods to frustrate federation plans envisaged by Britain or America, but the question is of such importance that the subject should be given serious consideration by the United Nations.