Britain Without Churchill
SIIL—Referring to your article 'Britain Without Churchill,' I should like to suggest that if the present Government's attitude towards European co-opera- tion is ostrich-like, the British people's view of them- selves is also ostrich-like. The British will not be Europeans until they think like Europeans. The British public should be made to realise that by thinking of themselves as Europeans they am, not necessarily weakening Commonwealth and trans- atlantic affiliations: that the rest of Europe, rightly or wrongly, regards the United Kingdom not
primarily as the head of the British Commonwealth of Nations, but as a shrunken colonial power living in the doubtful reflected glory of what nowadays tends to be regarded as colonial exploitation, and a poor relation of the United States. To see ourselves as others see us is always a salutary shock.
Although economic and political unity with Europe arc still far off there is much co-operation we can achieve in the field of education, starting from within. A Europe-orientated thinking can be achieved only through education on television, in the press. in schools and universities
At a European cultural conference held in Basle last S.:ptember a number of valuable suggestions were made which should have been of interest to the British public, but which received bare mention in the British press. At this conference it became clear that France secs herself as—and is—the in- tellectual leader of Europe. Britain's 'fringe' position in European affairs emerged equally clearly. There is no reason why Britain should not openly, identify herself culturally, if not politically and economically, with a United Europe, We cannot be Europeans until we think like Europeans and in another generation all educated Europeans will be thinking in at least two languages. As part of the French educational reform it has just been proposed that a first foreign language should be introduced at six years, and a second at the age of about thirteen. We should not find excuses for not following the French lead here. A Winston Churchill Memorial Education Act passing such a decision would be the finest tribute to our great leader.
21 Chemin des Palettes, Grand Laney, Geneva, Switzerland
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