WESTERN EUROPE: Perky Plan

Now that EDC is dead, the only living nucleus of a supranational Europe is the six-nation European Coal and Steel Community, which has its own High Authority, its own supreme court, even its own Common Assembly. Last week the 78 delegates to the Assembly unanimously elected a new Assembly president: economist Giuseppe Pella, former Christian Democratic Premier of Italy (for 4½ months in 1953). He is the third ex-Premier to be chosen for the post (predecessors: Belgium's Paul-Henri Spaak and Italy's late Alcide de Gasperi).

Still to be chosen: a successor to Jean Monnet as operational head of the Coal and Steel Authority. One favorite for the job: Robert Schuman, whose "Schuman Plan" started it all. Though politically the European dream stirs no great enthusiasm these days, the economic side of it is surprisingly perky. Largely as a result of the Schuman Plan, and its creation of a common tariff-free market, Jean Monnet reported last week that:

½ Trade in coal and steel among the six countries has increased by 75% since 1952.

¶ Steel prices, which skyrocketed in some cases from $50 to $150 per ton during the Korean war, have stabilized at some $75 per ton.

¶ European steel manufacturers have orders on hand to keep them busy until the end of 1955.