World: EUROPE'S DREAMS OF UNITY REVIVE

For more than a decade, Charles de Gaulle imperiously blocked Europe's search for unity. Under his repeated rebuffs, most notably of Britain's attempt to enter the Common Market in 1963, the ideal of unification withered almost to the point of oblivion. Last week a fresh voice spoke from Paris. It was that of Premier Jacques Chaban-Del-mas. Reflecting the new policy of President Georges Pompidou, Chaban-Del-mas declared: "We are ready to go as fast and as far in the quest of European unification as our partners." To prove France's change of heart, the Premier held out the promise of a European summit. "France is ready to participate in a meeting of the chiefs of state or chiefs of government of the six nations of the community," he said.

Chaban's words spurred the revival of hope that was already rising across Europe. In one chancellery after another, old dossiers and old dreams were gingerly dusted off. Britain recalled its ambassadors to the six Common Market countries for an intensive two-day skull session in London to plot the strategy for a new British move to gain admission to the European Economic Community.

Stop the Clock. Hailing the French attitude, Italian Foreign Minister Pietro Nenni called for quick approval of any British application. In The Hague, Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Luns, whose country for the next six months will hold the rotating chairmanship of the EEC's Council of Ministers, said that he would immediately seek from the Six a declaration of intent "to enlarge the Community." "Things are on the move now," Luns reported to the Dutch Cabinet.

An atmosphere of scarcely concealed glee reigned at the Common Market's spacious new headquarters on Brussels' Avenue de la Joyeuse Entree. "Unity cannot be stopped any more," said Common Market President Jean Rey. He ordered his aides to draw up a schedule of the other items that must be settled before Britain's admission could be taken up anew. "Don't take a vacation during the Christmas season," Rey warned newsmen. Before year's end, he expects marathon sessions to wind up the Common Market's interim period of tariff adjustments, to sort out the thorny agriculture support-price issue, and to grant increased supranational powers to the EEC's executive and parliament. Said Rey: "If the solutions are not ready at midnight on Dec. 31, we will stop the clock and 1970 will commence a few hours later." In his opinion, 1970 belongs to Britain.

Denmark, Ireland and Norway seek admission in addition to Britain. Meanwhile, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland all want various forms of associate membership. Should all go according to the most optimistic schedules, the Common Market could someday expand into a ten-nation economic entity whose industrial might. would far surpass that of the Soviet Union.