§ Mr. MORGAN JONESI hope I may ask for the indulgence of the House while I make a personal statement. In the course of yesterday's Debate I made a reference to the right hon. Member for West Birmingham (Sir A. Chamberlain), and perhaps I may read the exact words from column 582 of the OFFICIAL REPORT. I was saying:
Not only was she encouraged by the Government in the way I have indicated, but speeches were made by leading Members of the Tory party in this House last year deliberately encouraging Japan in the course upon which she had embarked.Then there were questions, and in that connection and under pressure I regret that I referred to the right hon. Member for Birmingham. The OFFICIAL REPORT proceeds:
§ "Sir AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINTo my astonishment the bon. Gentleman has named me in that connection. Will he read any passage from my speeches which justifies his allegation.
§ Mr. JONESI will reply to that in this way. Certainly I ought to have fortified myself with actual quotations. I will not deny that, but the right hon. Gentleman will recall that he devoted a very considerable proportion of that speech to justifying Japan in large measure, on the ground of the difficulties created for Japan by the disturbances in China.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINIf to be enabled to see two sides of a question is to be a partisan on one side, then there is perhaps some foundation for the hon. Gentleman's charge. I endeavoured to show, before condemning the action of Japan, that, at least I understood what had led to it, and my condemnation was outspoken. [HON MEMBERS: 'Withdraw!'] If, after that, the hon. Gentleman persists, I say flatly that there is not the slightest foundation for his argument.
§ Mr. JONESAm I to be allowed to proceed, Mr. Speaker? I am not going to withdraw a single word. I repeat that the inference of the speech of the right hon. Gentleman in the main was in the direction which I have indicated. If that was not the intention of the right hon. Gentleman, I cannot help it.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINThat is not so.
§ Mr. JONESVery well, we disagree."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th November, 1933; cols. 582–3; Vol.281.]
I have now had the opportunity of refreshing my memory by reference to the account given in the OFFICIAL REPORT of the Debate, and it is clear to me that I did the right hon. Gentleman a grievous injustice. It is obvious that my allega- 740 tion that he deliberately encouraged Japan in her action cannot be sustained. I have no desire in these circumstances to persist in it. I beg the House, therefore, to give me leave to withdraw the statement. I am the more aggrieved that I made the statement because it was applied to an honoured Member of this House whose unfailing courtesy has won the unstinted admiration of the House. In expressing my regret to the House for my action, I hope it will acquit me of any malicious intent. In offering the right hon. Gentleman himself my apology, I hope that he might find it possible, if not to forget, at least to forgive.
§ Sir AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINWill the House allow me to thank the hon. Gentleman for the very handsome way in which he has treated this incident and to say that I hope it will not weaken but confirm the friendly relations that should exist between Members sitting on opposite sides of the House in all matters that concern the House. I am very much obliged to the hon. Member for the statement that he has made.