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From Labor Action, Vol. 14 No. 19, 1 May 1950, pp. 5–6.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
There was a time when international conferences of the big powers, such as that of the United States, Britain and France which is about to open in London, were called together under the title of “peace conference,” or some other title ostensibly related to the problem of guaranteeing, strengthening or finding peace. Now, however, even that slim pretext is dropped and the forthcoming London conference is openly convened to strengthening existing alliances and ties of the great powers in their coalition against Russian imperialism.
The speech of Herbert Hoover, calling for a formal burial of the corpse of the United Nations and the creation of a “grand coalition” in its place, although somewhat in advance of present intentions of the Big Three, much more accurately reflects the true state of affairs than most diplomats would be willing to admit. As the N.Y. Times has stated: “American foreign policy is now based on the premise that the cold war is here to stay, and that the home front and the whole Atlantic front must be mobilized and organized on that basis.”
The London conference thtis marks a stage in the development of what Secretary of State Acheson has called “total diplomacy,” which – translated – means total readiness for waging war. It is expected to last for two weeks, and many significant issues will be discussed – not, apparently, with the intention of working out some new approach to the Russians or arriving at a compromise, but to harden the anti-Russian front and settle issues within its ranks.
Here are some of the issues which evidently will be discussed:
(1) The formation of the Atlantic Pact nations into a more solid bloc, capable of dealing in some kind of united fashion with Stalinist threats. This involves the approaching expiration of the Marshall Plan (1952), together with various proposed economic steps to achieve some small measure of economic unity in Western Europe. The truth is, of course, that Western Europe is exceptionally weak, from a political point of view. The British Labor government probably cannot last very long; the French government holds on by a thread, and Belgium is in the midst of its monarchical crisis.
Considered by themselves, the Western European powers hardly are able to hold their heads above water, let alone prepare any kind of anti-Russian offensive. Acheson would like to rectify this situation, if he can, and the only way he can think of is some kind of vague economic “unity” or “integration." Closely associated with this is the issue of Germany, that perennial issue.
(2) What to do about the demands of the Bonn government for greater autonomy, particularly in domestic affairs? What to do about Germany’s integration into the Atlantic Pact bloc, and possible rearmament? All the old and unsettled questions are raised again, since American efforts to rearm Germany; ot put the Bonn government on a more equitable footing with the other powers, are inevitably opposed by the French imperialists, who conceive of the North Atlantic Treaty as directed just as much against any future Gernan attack as against a Russian attack.
In this respect, perhaps the proposal of French Premier Bidault for a new Atlantic Council which would “coordinate the economic, political and strategic policies of the Atlantic Pact powers” may be the most important proposal to come up before this London conference. From the meager information made available regarding this plan, if appears to be a concrete step for forming a high board of European strategy, to speed the preparations for war to a more active phase.
(3) It is also likely that issues affecting the Far East will probably be touched upon at this conference, such as the disastrous war of the French against the Viet Nam republic; how to liquidate with a minimum amount of embarrassment the stinking remnants of Chiang Kai-shek’s regime on Formosa and settle down to the real task of doing business with the Chinese Stalinists, what to do about thoproposed treaty with Japan, etc.
While it does not seem too likely that important issues will be settled, or that much will come from this conference, we shall nonetheless follow its developments over the next few weeks. In any case, more permanent and formal arrangements which clarify the relations between the Big Three in their anti-Russian bloc will probably emerge. This is a conference for business; any phony talk about “peace” will be at a minimum.
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Last updated: 23 January 2024