’Sole Means Of Avoiding Another Hideous War'

Northern Advocate, 28 February 1949, Page 5

’Sole Means Of Avoiding Another Hideous War'

Churchill Says European Unity Movement Is

BRUSSELS, Sun. (10.30 a.m.)—Cheers and boos greeted Mr Churchill when he told a crowd of about 15,000 that the European Unity Movement was the “sole means preventing another hideous war.” . ■ _ About 50 hecklers were arrested—including a Communist deputy and a Communist senator. . The Prime Minister (M. Spaak) stood besides Mr Churchill, who spoke from the steps of the Brussels Stock Exchange on the occasion of the first public session of the European Unity Movement.

Hundreds of .policemen, armed with Sten guns, rifles, pistols and truncheons, and carrying gasmasks, blocked all approaches to tjie Place de la Bourse and were stationed in small groups among the crowd, in preparation for an expected Communist demonstration during Mr Churchill s speech. As Mr Churchill appeared thousands of Communist leaflets, bearing slogans like “They want war, were thrown into the air. _ Hecklers repeatedly jeered Mr Churchill and other speakers and often broke into chants. Mr Churchill said: “One half of Europe is in prison today and the other half on its guard and justified in taking precautionary measures.” SPAAK STEALS SHOW, But M. Spaak stole the show when he bellowed: “Communists represent war. We represent peace. He drew the loudest cheers at the end of the meeting. Communists, who began singing the Internationale, were drowned out by a 50-man Belgian Army band. "I always felt during the war that the structure of world security could be founded only on regional organisations ” Mr Churchill said at the first meeting of the movement’s international council yesterday. “Large regional units are a necessaiy element in any scheme of world government . . , .. "Unless and until this is don>_ the United Nations Organisation > will oe a failure and even a mockery. “A European Assembly is now on the point of being achieved ” he said. “We have now to take the second step forward, and try to establish as a practical result of our meeting here the setting up of a European Court of Human rights,” brawliing cockpit Mr Churchill said the United Nations had been reduced to a brawling cockpit. in which insults might be flun o back and forth. The main cause of this disaster was the fact that the world v'as sundered by the aggression of Communist ideology through the armed power of the Soviet.

“There are a number of ancient and famous European states which are no longer able to take their stand for those human rights which they have so great a need,” he added. “The yoke of the Kremlin oligarchy has descended upon them and they are the victims of a tyranny more subtle end merciless than any known before in history.”

“After each of the frightful wars which ravaged the lives and homes of mankind, the hopes of humanity have centred upon the creation of an instrument of world government capable at least of maintaining peace and law among men,” he said. gratitude TO U.S.A. “We have all been grieved and alarmed by the fact that the United Nations should have been so torn and broken that it has made a far less hopeful start in these first four years than its predecessor, the League of Nations. “The task of our movement is to foster and encourage the pride of being European. “The Europe we are trying to build must be independent, but not isolated. “We stretch our hands out in gratitude to the other half of the world across the ocean. “We express our admiration to the great United States for tb|3 part it is playing, not only in the reconstruction of the European economy, but also in guaranteeing our security and defence. “The Atlantic Pact will give us all a guarantee that the cause of freedom will not be . aggressively assaulted without effective help coming from the great Republic over the ocean.” The Belgian police released all those arrested earlier at a public meeting addressed by Mr Churchill. Among those held were Raymond Dispy, Communist member of the Chamber of Deputies and two Communist senators, Isodore Fonteyne and Fernand Minnaerts.