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far with no avaH - for help from its
European brothers in the EEC. This
demonstrates the kind o tensions
and 'll&tional
moods
present in the
Community.
If any one or two of the above
nations withdraw from the EEC
~
which
is
possible - who wiU take
their place?
A few possibilities immediately
present themselves. Spain and Por–
tugal are Jikely candidates. Both are
fully Westem European in outlook
and traditions. Portugal is already a
member ofNATO. Though Spain is
not, it is definitely in the Western
camp and has treaties with the
United States which permit the lat–
ter to lease air and submarine bases.
However , the basically non–
democratic nature of the two Ibe–
rian
nations presently bars their
inclusion in the Community.
Other possible EEC members in–
elude Austria, Greece, Turkey and
even Yugoslavia. Tbere are so–
caiJed "impossibilities" attacbed to
the membership of each. But so
were there to Britain's membership
just a few years ago, and she is now
a full member. Unforeseen events
could impel sorne of these nations to
actíons that they are not now con–
templating. Franco's rule in Spain
will come to an end soon. He
is
eighty-one years old. With th pres–
sure of the need for a unified Euro–
pean voice and the imminent threat
of Soviet intervention if U. S. troops
in Europe are withdrawn, it would
be easy to imagine a speedy entry of
Spain and Portugal into the EEC -
and even Greece.
Austria's constitution would have
to be amended, and Yugoslavia
would need to make a complete
break with Soviet Russia. But ethni–
cally , geographically and h is–
torically, both Austria and the
northwestern part of present day
Yugoslavia were for centuries part
of the Hapsburg family of nations.
Already a full member of NATO
with strong historical ties to Europe,
Turkey might easily opt for full
EEC membership - it is already an
associate member - if U. S. power
PLAIN TRUTH March 1974
in the Middle East an
Epro
e con–
tinu
t0
Clecline. There are
ors
ftoating around Europe to the
efti
that Turkish soldiers - noted for
their toughness - could in part re–
place American troops if oeeded.
A Separat e "ldentity"
n Ideority
~
per ap–
--proved recently in Copenhagen
is
something far less than Europe's
"declara tion of independence. "
Nevertheless, as the 22-point docu–
ment stressed, the Community's
close ties with the United States "do
not conftict with the determination
of the Nine to establish themselves
as a distinct and original identity."
Henceforth, the Community would
seek "cooperation with the United
States on the basis of equality."
And, in unusually forceful tones, the
framers of the identity paper as–
serted that "Europe must unite and
speak increasingly with a single
voice if it desires to make itself
heard and play its proper role in the
world." Thus, another giant step
was
made
in
the weaning of post–
war Europe away from what is re–
garded as
ue.reliance on Ameri–
can policies and
i
uence.
There is good cause for this. The
long, drawn-out Vietnam rnalaise
the Watergate tragedy, U. S. moves
such as the atomic alert of last Octo–
ber, tbe direct Middle East peace
initia ·ve with the Soviet Union (by–
passing urppean allies) - all these
events and more.have caused Euro–
peans to feel they can no longer
solely depend on Ameriean lead–
ership and support.
European antagonism toward the
United States and its policies
is
now
in the open. The next few years will
bring forth more misunderstanding,
confticts of interest and, at times,
outright bostility between the
United States and Europe.
Europe - including West Ger–
many -
will
have to build its own
unified armed forces, including nu–
clear weapons. Religious as well as
política) forces will play a key role
in the future.
lt All Seems So
" Natura l"
Precisely twenty-five years ago,
The
PLAIN TRUTH spelled out in
sorne detail this coming European
union. It was the article "Now
It
Can Be Told," in the December
1948 issue, by Herbert W. Arm–
strong.
How would one know the details
of the coming Europeao union that ,
a quarter century Iater, is beginning
to take shape despite the unwilling–
ness of the oation-states of Western
Europe to surrender national sover–
eignties?
There 'is a higher power which · is
working out a great purpose oo this
earth. That power is not an insipid
great grandfather-like figure from
ancient mythology. Rather, a great
spirit personality is involved, ooe
who has supreme intelligence and
wisdom, supreme love and also su–
preme power. If moral decay and
spiritual rot continue within the
Western European, British and
American peoples, the Creator will
speak to us all in a language we will
listen to! This laoguage involves na–
tional punishment - unless we re–
pent.
The details contained in PLAIN
RUTH articles and in radio broad–
CfSls two and even three decades
a~o
are working out so slowly and
so "naturally" that few even now
seem to grasp their significance. But
the specifically prophesied united
Euro~e
is being molded by the very
events that seem to be tearing Eu–
rope apart . You are living in the end
of an age. Readers of the PLAJN
TRUTH have the priceless opportu–
nity to understand.
The stark meaning of turmoil in
Westero Europe
is
found
in
detaH in
the free book
The United States and
British Commonwea/th in Prophecy .
It
will be sent to you free, upon
request and without any obligation.
See back cover for address nearest
you. Also
watch
world events and
carefully read each issue of
The
PLAIN TRUTH, a magazine of under–
standing.
o
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