SIR, —Because of the lack of a spirit of unity Europe
has been the seat of two major wars. Because of the lack of such a spirit it is necessary for men to set up governments to maintain law and order to secure their individual freedom and development. As an alternative to war—war that is between national states each claiming to exercise absolute sovereignty on behalf of their citizens—there is federal government. To be a government securing the freedom and development of the individual citizen it must naturally be democratic government. Therefore a federal government must be elected by the people, and this will, of course, be over the heads of existing governments. A peace-loving people should endow a government with power to exercise their sovereignty which will not lead to recurring wars between their national governments. In this way they would take away from their national governments the need to make war, having secured their freedom by other means. Incidentally they would strengthen the cause of national governments and make them safe from the attempts of dictators to turn many of them into mere puppets. Democratic federal government is a method of obtaining security without the use of national armies, threats of war and ultimate aimed conflict. The sponsors of " United Europe," to which movement you refer in News of the Week, of January 24th, have not yet said which European nations should join in the union. This, of course, is a matter for the people in the various countries to decide for themselves. The call to all men of good will in all countries to take counsel together is an invitation to Europeans to reconsider the question of their security, and the exercise of their individual sovereign powers. Surely after the wars of the last thirty years it is not unreasonable to suppose that the insecure people of Europe will welcome the oppor- tunity to review the position with such a committee as that of "United
Europe."—Yours sincerely, LESLIE BUCKLE. Caton Lodge, Station Walk, Cottingham, E. Yorks.
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