11 NOVEMBER 1949, Page 2

Strasbourg Divergences

The meetings of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and of the standing committee of the European Consultative Assembly at Paris this week indicate that there is still some co-ordination between the two bodies to be achieved. The Consulta- tive Assembly, well satisfied, and with some reason, with the start it made at Strasbourg in September, desires more freedom than the Ministers are yet ready to accord to it, particularly in settling its own agenda and in setting various committees, economic, cultural and others (all of which cost money) to work. The salient fact is that the Committee of Ministers represents Governments and the Assembly does not. There are, moreover, other bodies, also repre- senting Governments, like O.E.E.C., the various Brussels Treaty organisations, the Economic Commission for Europe, actively at work, and it is not yet clear into what relation with these the Assembly's aspirations may lead it. On the whole the Ministers are at this junc- ture wise to press rather on the brake than the accelerator. There is nothing immediately urgent except the admission of Germany to the Assembly, for there is nothing important about the proposed admis- sion of the Saar except the complications it might possibly create. Fortunately Ministers and Assembly are agreed on this point. As to Germany, approval of her proposed admission by the Committee of Ministers and the standing committee of the Assembly will be suf- ficient to entitle her delegates (probably 18, like the British) to take their places when the next Assembly meets. That is not likely to be till next autumn, for the Ministers do not smile on the Assembly's own idea of a special session in January or February ; nor, if Germany can be virtually admitted without that, does such a session seem necessary. Unfortunately, M. Schuman has given an undertaking not to agree to the admission till the French National Assembly has been consulted, and that cannot be till November 22nd. The delay is to be regretted, but provided that the right decision is taken then it is not really material.