THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1948. MARSHALL AID

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26749, 19 April 1948, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1948. MARSHALL AID

It is now almost a year since Mr Marshall made his first announcement of a plan to inaugurate American aid to Europe on a colossal scale and in a co-ordinated manner. In Paris last week the Marshall Aid (European Organisation) Permanent Council held its first plenary session. It was, in Mr Bevin’s phrase, “ the end of the beginning.” He also emphasised that the key to the plan was “ self-help through mutual help.” Both these phrases are worthy of note. The organisation of the plan has been a prolonged task, almost dangerously prolonged as the economic strain on the nations of Western Europe intensified with the passing of the months and as Russia, alarmed at the prospect of consolidation in the West, increased the intensity of her endeavours to drive a wedge between the Powers. To-day the inauguration of the Council, following as it does on the signing of the Brussels Treaty with the Benelux Union, comes as another rebuff to Russian hopes.. But the step from planning to action is only a formal one. There are many difficulties to be overcome and it cannot be expected that the machinery of European aid will commence to operate without friction. The aim of “ self-help through mutual help ” will not be achieved without a new spirit of co-operation and a readiness to sacrifice to some extent national sovereignty.

This fact was the subject of forthright comment recently by the Belgian Premier, M. Spaak. “All the Western Powers,” he said, “have been practising a fairly individualistic, not to say selfish, economic policy. We have all tried to save ourselves in very different ways. All this has meant that in recent months political economies instead of supporting and helping each other have clashed. And measures adopted in one or the other country have, profoundly troubled the economy of the others. In these circumstances, it is necessary to speak frankly. We must decide if, when we speak of economic collaboration and understanding, we really mean to enter the domain of realities, or if we just want to hypnotise ourselves with words.” The agenda of the Marshall Aid Council is impressive. It includes the examination of production reports and estimates, consideration of the best use of production and man-power—including the ' possibility of exchanges of labour, the investigation of co-ordinating purchases, and co-operation to ensure the most efficient use of all external aid and indigenous resources. It is essential that the Council to undertake such work should be widely representative and equipped with far-reaching powers. The wholehearted support of all the members is the best guarantee that the new machinery will work—and that support can be given only if the policies of the respective Governments really have the principle of co-operation as their bases.