A BROADER BASIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26692, 11 February 1948, Page 5

A BROADER BASIS

Alliance with Britain and France BENELUX GROUP’S SUGGESTION From E. G. Webber, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 10. Two sets of proposals and reports, which are at present being studied in London,, are expected to take Mr Ernest Bevin’s plans for a Western European alliance a considerable step further. The first set of proposals embodies comments of the Benelux countries upon Mr Bevin’s Western union plan. The second is a report of the international study group set up by the Paris conference upon a suggested Western Europe customs union. This report has been prepared after a conference of economic representatives of the 16 Marshall aid countries in Brussels last week. The conclusions of the Benelux alliance have not yet been published in detail but they are understood to suggest that any treaty between Britain and France on one hand and the Benelux group on the other should include protective provisions not only against aggression by Germany but against aggression from any quarter whatever. If this suggestion is adopted it means that any British-French-Benelux alliance is to be on a considerably broader basis than the present British-French mutual aid pact, which is directed only against Germany.

The Benelux countries also want to treat with Britain and France as one political entity and not as individuals. If this point is conceded it would place Benelux in a much stronger position, as collectively the three partners in that alliance represent a European population of 18,000,000 and a colonial population of 80,000,000, backed by very valuable material resources.

The Benelux partners further suggest that as a condition of any alliance with Britain and France they should be given an appropriate vote in the Anglo-French foreign policy, particularly in regard to the future administration of Germany. These representations are likely to be considered in London this month by Britain, the United States and France. The Scandinavian countries, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland are still displaying marked reserve towards the proposals that they should join a western union alliance. Sweden and Denmark have already announced that they will not depart from their traditional policy of rieutraiity and although Norway appears to be more favourably disposed towards an alliance with Britain and France, it is obvious from the studious ignoring of the western union proposals during last week’s debates that the Norwegians were also anxious to preserve Scandinavian solidarity. The Foreign Ministers of the five Scandinavian countries are due to meet in Oslo on February 23, when the matter will be further discussed. In the meantime the Russians are showing open hostility to any suggestions that a Scandinavian bloc may participate in Mr Bevin’s plans. The semi-official Soviet journal Red Fleet, said on Saturday that Russia would regard any “ bloc building,” whether by joining the Bevin plan of otherwise, as “ aggressive action aimed at the Soviet Union.” The proposals for the formation of a western European Customs union are not only closely connected with the Marshal plan, but also with Mr Bevin s proposals. It is therefore interesting to note that reports from Brussels state that considerable progress was made by' the international economic study group in setting up committees and undertaking essential preparatory work. All these reports are expected to be completed in time for consideration by Marshall aid nations in the middle of April. In addition to the Benelux Custpms union, which is already functioning, similar upions between Italy and France, the Scandinavian countries and Turkey and Greece are at present under discussion. If the proposals for a general European Customs union succeed, these individual agreements may be merged into a general economic agreement incorporating all, or the majority of countries participating in the Marshall Plan. Britain, so far, has not committed herself to a European Customs union, but the British delegation took a very active part m the Brussels conference. A joint statement issued in StocKholm by the Premiers of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, after a five-hour meeting, said the time was not yet upe for defining Scandinavia’s attitude to the Bevin proposals for a western union. The three countries agreed, however, that there was every possibility of a joint Swedish-Norwegian-Danish policy in the efforts for the reconstruction of Europe.