A ‘European Commonwealth’: Britain, the European League for Economic Co-operation, and European Debates on Empire, 1947–1957

Abstract

In 1957, European overseas territories became associated with the Common Market. Whereas this association was specifically demanded by France and Belgium, the United Kingdom refused to join the European Economic Community (EEC) precisely because of its Commonwealth. Paradoxically however, Britain had participated in post-war debates over Europe/Empire co-operation and had influenced the outcome of the final discussions. This article argues that while Britain did not join the EEC, the ideas of the British members of the transnational European League for Economic Co-operation (ELEC), and the Commonwealth policy developed by Britain, would inspire European countries and play a major role in shaping the Europe/Empire co-operation policy as it developed.

Keywords:

• Europe
• Empire
• Eurafrica
• European Commonwealth
• European League for Economic Co-operation

Notes

¹ ‘Leaflet of the European League for Economic Co-operation’, January 1957 LSE, J/5/1/2–J/5/8/1.

² Lady Rhys-Williams was editor of the European Review (1951–1954) and director of the Economic Digest (1954–1958), Roy Harrod was editor of the Economic Journal (1945–1961), Lord Layton was chairman of The Economist (1944–1963) and of the News Chronicle and The Star. William Ugueux was director of the Belgian newspaper La Cité (1950–1955).

³ The French René Piaton was president of Péchiney (Compagnie de produits chimiques et électro-métallurgiques). In Britain, Henry Tiarks and J.-P. Berkin were respectively founder of Securicor Ltd and director of Shell Transport and Trading Co. and Shell Petroleum Co. and the Belgian René Boël, was an associate in Solvay group.

⁴ E. Giscard d'Estaing and Lincoln Steel both worked in the International Chamber of Commerce respectively as chairmen of the French and British Committees; Roy. F. Harrod was Economic adviser to the International Monetary Fund.

⁵ Belgian Minister of Economic Co-operation (1947).

⁶ Belgian Minister of Finance (1925–1926, 1938–1939, 1952–1954).

⁷ UK Minister of Works and Minister of Education (1954–1957, 1959–1962), President of the Board of Trade (1957–1959).

⁸ Minister of Supply and Minister for Housing and Local Government (1954–1957), Minister of Defence (1957).

⁹ President of the Board of Trade (1951–1957), Chancellor of the Exchequer (1957–1958).

¹⁰ Minister of Housing and Local Government (1951), Minister of Defence (1954), Foreign Secretary (1955), Chancellor of the Exchequer (1956), Prime Minister (1957–1961)

¹¹ Roy Harrod and Roy Jenkins worked respectively for the Colonial Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office.

¹² Archives of the London School of Economics (LSE), Mackay Papers, 5/2: Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, ‘Speech made at a luncheon held in London on 4 July 1950 in honour of the Right Hon. The Viscount Bruce of Melbourne on the proposed ELEC conference with the Dominion’, 4 July 1950.

¹³ LSE, Mackay Papers, 5/2: Letter from J. Amery to R. Harrod, 6 January 1951.

¹⁴ LSE, Mackay Papers, 5/2: Letter from J. Amery to R. Harrod, 6 January 1951.

¹⁵ Archives of the University of Louvain-La-Neuve (LLN), ELEC Archives, 69: ‘Economic Commission. Meeting of 28 April 1951 in London. Remarks of the Rapporteur, Professeur G. Van Esbroek on the report prepared by the British Section entitled “Trade relations between the Commonwealth and Europe”’, 28 April 1951.

¹⁶ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/5/2/8: J. Rhys-Williams, ‘Economic development and social security in the colonial territories of Europe. A proposal for the formation of a Joint colonial Development and Welfare board by the colonial powers of Europe’, 4 February 1949.

¹⁷ LSE, Mackay Papers, 5/2: Letter from R. Harrod to J. Amery, 20 December 1950.

¹⁸ LSE, Mackay Papers, 5/2: R. F. Harrod, ‘European Commercial Policy; Objectives’, 16 October 1950.

¹⁹ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/9/4: J. Rhys-Williams, ‘Some arguments for immediate empire-European union’, 12 September 1949.

²⁰ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/1/2-J/5/8/1: ‘Observations of the Economic Commission of ELEC on the British Section's Preliminary Report on Trade relations between the Commonwealth and Europe’, 28 April 1951.

²¹ LSE, Mackay Papers, 5/2: Letter from J. Amery to R. Harrod, 6 January 1951.

²² LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/9/4: ‘Some arguments for immediate empire-European union’, 12 September 1949.

²³ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/6/2: ‘Memorandum prepared for the Economic sub-committee of the United Europe Movement by G.D.A. MacDougall’, 7 January 1949, p. 3.

²⁴ LSE, Mackay Papers, 5/2: Letter from R. Hall to H. Butler, 31 October 1950.

²⁵ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/5/1/2-J/5/8/1: ELEC British section, ‘Preparatory Document for the Commonwealth Conference. Trade relations between the Commonwealth and Europe. 2nd Edition’, May 1951.

²⁶ LSE, Mackay papers, 5/2: R. Harrod, ‘ELEC European Commercial Policy: Objectives’, 16 October 1950.

²⁷ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/5/4/4: Report from H. Butler, 18 February 1950.

²⁸ LLN, ELEC Archives, 69: Winston Churchill, ‘Conférence Europe-Commonwealth, Communiqué de presse no 2’, 29 May 1951.

²⁹ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/5/1/2-J/5/8/1: ELEC British section, ‘Preparatory Document for the Commonwealth Conference. Trade relations between the Commonwealth and Europe, 2nd Edition’, May 1951.

³⁰ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/5/4/4: ‘ELEC Commonwealth/Europe conference. Resolutions’.

³¹ British National Archives (NA), Foreign Office (FO), 371/100179: T. W. Garvey, ‘Foreign Office, Minutes’, 24 June 1952.

³² LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J 5/1/2-J/5/8/1: ‘ELEC leaflet’, 1957.

³³ R. Boothby MP, Commons Sitting of 6 November 1952, Hansard, Series 5, Vol. 507, cc 300–443.

³⁴ NA, Treasury (T), 229/864: ‘Squaring Strasbourg with GATT’, The Economist, 6 February 1954.

³⁵ NA, T, 229/863: Letter from R. E. Crawford (Foreign Office) to A. W. France (Treasury), ‘Strasbourg Plan’, 12 October 1953.

³⁶ NA, FO, 371/105945: ‘Commonwealth Economic Conference, Final Communiqué, presented by the Prime Minister to Parliament by Command of Her Majesty’, December 1952.

³⁷ LSE, Rhys-Williams Papers, J/7/2/3: ‘Résolutions adoptées, Deuxième Conférence Economique Européenne de Westminster, Church House, Westminster’, 29 January–1 February 1954.

³⁸ LLN, ELEC Archives, 632: R. Piaton, ‘ELEC Commission Economique. Réunion du 12 Mars 1955 à Paris. Note sur les problèmes économiques des territoires d'outre-mer’, 12 March 1955.

³⁹ LLN, ELEC Archives, 632: Letter to L. de Sainte Lorette, 16 June 1955.

⁴⁰ R. Lemaignen, ‘L'inclusion des territoires d'outre-mer dans le Marché commun’, Bulletin mensuel du CNPF, no. 157, February 1957.

⁴¹ LLN, ELEC Archives, 154: Letter from L. Durand-Reville to L. Sermon, 21 July 1956.

⁴² LLN, ELEC Archives, 154: ‘Groupe d'étude sur l'intégration des T.O.M., rapport section de M. Louis Ameye, Réunion du 13 septembre 1956’, 13 September 1956.

⁴³ LLN, ELEC Archives, 154: ‘The Belgian section of the League invited some personalities of the private sectors to discuss the participation of the Congo to the Common Market’, 29 October 1956.