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Britain - " Unjoining Europe" ?
"My Government ," announced Queen Elizabeth in
a speech written for her in early March by Britain's new
Labour Party Cabinet, "wili seek a fundamental rene–
gotiation of the terms of entry to the European Eco–
nomic Community. After these negotiations have been
completed, the results will be put to the British people."
Ever since Britain formally ')oined Europe" or
became a member of the nine-nation Community in
January 1973, Labour Party leader Harold Wilson has
sibly to accommodate nuclear submarines and bombers.
Many observers feel it could mark the beginning of
a chain reaction of superpower rivalry and military
competition in an area which has previousl.y been con–
sidered a "zone of peace."
The British-owned island, 1,000 miles south of In–
dia, sits astride the great sea lanes through which most
of the world's imported oil passes dai1y. Tanl<ers
carrying sorne 70% of Europe's oil and sorne 90% of
Japan's oil travel routes withi,n easy policing range
from Diego Garcia. Sorne 12% of all U. S. oil needs
rep~~d~ emphu~d h~ party~ d~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sire to improve Britain's lot in the Com-
~
munity or to get out altogether. The
<ti
:::i
British have never been overly en- ,._
chanted with the Common Market and
~
have become even more disillusioned
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in the wake of sharply rising prices o
in the months following entry into the
á:
trade bloc.
Renegotiation would seek, among
other changes, major revisions in the
EEC's Common Agricultura! Policy and
reducfions in
Brit~h
contributions to
the Community budget.
Though Harold Wilson now holds the office of
prime minister, to expect an imminent British pullout
is
clearly premature. Lacking a majority in the House of
Commons, the Labour Party - itself somewhat split on
the issue - is in no position to formally put the question
to Parliament at the present time.
Any final action on EEC membership will probably
haveto wait until after the next election and then only if
the Labour Party achieves a comfortable majority.
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Naval Rivalry in lndian Ocean?
Controversy is growing over plans by the United
States to transform its small communications facility on
the lndian Ocean island of Diego Garcia into the
Navy's first permanent military base in the region.
Plans call for a $30 million expansion of the island
facility into a full-scale naval and air support station
with an enlarged harbor and extended runway - pos-
PLAIN TRUTH June-July 1974
..
are supplied through these shipping lanes as well.
The Soviet Union has accused the United States' interest
in the Indian Ocean as "gunboat diplomacy" in an "era of
détente," though presently there are a bout 30 Sovietwar–
ships cruising the lndian Ocean, compared to the United
States' eight. Sorne experts expect the Soviet lndian
Ocean fieet to increase to 50
in
coming months. And Soviet
ships have port servicing facilities
in
India, Iraq, Aden,
Somalia, and other countries facing the Indian Ocean.
United States expansion plans also reftect concern
that the expected reopening of the Suez Canal will
allow Sov!et warships n·ow conftned to the Mediterra–
nean to move easily from their Black Sea bases into the
l ndian Ocean.
The United States asserts that it
is
attempting to dem–
onstrate that it will not allow the Soviet Union to use a
period of eased tensions in the world to acquire a
position of military superiority.
Edited by Gene H. Hogberg
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