§ 8. Mr. Beverley Baxterasked the Minister of Works if he will consider removing the statue of the Duke of Cambridge in Whitehall and replacing it with a statue in memory of Alcock and Brown as the first men to fly the North Atlantic.
§ Mr. StokesI do not think that Whitehall would be suitable for a memorial to Alcock and Brown. The Duke was for nearly 40 years Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, and I think that his statue is well placed between the War Office and the Horse Guards.
§ Mr. BaxterWill not the Minister agree that, imposing as is that record of the Duke, nevertheless the statue is too bulky for present-day traffic? Will not he also realise that a statue of a smaller size of Alcock and Brown would be inspiring to our own people and enlightening to the Americans?
§ Mr. StokesI should like to see a statue of Alcock and Brown somewhere. As to the bulk of the statue of the Duke, I will go and have another look.
Air Commodore HarveyDoes not the Minister realise that it is generally thought that an American was the first to fly the Atlantic? Does not he think we ought to pay a tribute to these great British pioneers, and cannot something be done about it?
§ Mr. StokesYes, certainly, but that is quite another question.