§ 60. Mr. Fenner Brockwayasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what has been the attitude of the British delegate on the Security Council of the United Nations to the request of 12 Asian and African nations that the Security Council should investigate the situation in Tunisia, and use its good offices to settle the French-Tunisian dispute.
§ Mr. EdenIn the view of Her Majesty's Government every effort should be made to work out a solution of this problem between the French and the Tunisians themselves. I understand that the Tunisian Prime Minister has today succeeded in completing a Cabinet, and that the French Resident-General is about to put forward proposals for reform for consideration by all parties.
In these circumstances, I am not convinced that international intervention could serve a useful purpose.
§ Mr. BrockwayIn view of the threat to peace which this situation in Tunisia causes, is it not desirable that the United Nations should intervene with a view to helping a pacific settlement?
§ Mr. EdenThese are immensely difficult problems, and if our desire is peace all the information I have is that international intervention at this time would only assist extremists on either side in Tunisia, and all the advice I have from our representative is that there is a fair chance of an agreement on the spot. That is what we should favour if we possibly can and not encourage international intervention when it may not really help the result.