A Council of the Allies
A month ago The Spectator advocated the creation of an Allied Council in London. The case for such a step becomes stronger as time passes. We have assembled in the chief city of the Empire not a number of casual refugees from several countries of Europe, but the recognised and titular Govern- ments of these countries—Poland, Holland, Czecho-Slovakia, Norway. The position of Belgium is more doubtful, but will no doubt in due time be clarified. In regard to France, General de Gaulle has been formally recognised as the accredited spokes- man of all Frenchmen whose words and actions are not deter- mined by Nazi dictation. It would be purposeless and perhaps actually mischievous to attempt to frame detailed plans for the reconstruction of a continent whose redemption will come at a time and in a manner not at present predictable, but all the Governments domiciled on British soil today are sharing a common lot in the present and a common concern for the future. It would have an obvious symbolic value, if nothing else, for their Foreign Ministers or other representatives to form a Council under the chairmanship of the British Foreign Minister, to deal from time to time with political problems that concern them all. Such evidence of purpose and. preparation would have a heartening effect on the populations of the countries concerned, by whom it would certainly soon be known, and from the British point of view it would be an apt recogni- tion of the value of Allied collaboration at a- moment when French and Polish and Belgian and Czecho-Slovak airmen are shooting down Nazi aeroplanes over British soil.
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