§ 4. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information to give the House as to the Three-Power Pact to maintain the independence of Austria?
§ 6. Mr. ANEURIN BEVANasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs upon whose initiative was it decided to issue a joint statement with the Governments of France and Italy as to the necessity of maintaining Austria's independence and integrity?
§ Sir J. SIMONIt will be remembered that on the 13th February I read to the House the text of an aide memoire handed to the Austrian Minister in which the policy of His Majesty's Government regarding the independence of Austria 318 was clearly stated. On the following day the French Ambassador suggested to me that the French and Italian Governments should join with His Majesty's Government in making a declaration on the same lines as that already made by His Majesty's Government. I understood from him that this suggestion had already been discussed between the French and Italian Governments and that the latter were favourably disposed towards it. I subsequently informed the French and Italian Governments that His Majesty's Government were disposed to join in any statement which was substantially the same as the one which I had myself already made on more than one occasion. A joint announcement was accordingly issued to the Press on the 17th February.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODHas the right hon. Gentleman made it clear, both to the Italian and the French Governments, that we shall not raise a finger to protect the independence of the Austrian Government?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe statement, my right hon. and gallant Friend will see, is one of general principles, and I would remind him that it is specifically limited by saying, "In accordance with the relevant treaties."
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWill it not be possible for His Majesty's Government, if they are asked to join in this guarantee for Austria, to make it a condition of such guarantee, firstly, that there shall be a restoration of democratic government in Austria?
§ Mr. COCKSIf the Italian Government is in favour of the independence of Austria, why has she interfered in this matter and advised this Fascist attack in Austria?
§ 5. Mr. DAVID GRENFELLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the appeal made by the Austrian Government to the League of Nations has been modified by recent events in that country?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the appeal which the Austrian Government has announced its intention of making to the League of Nations is and remains that we should refrain from making any pronouncement in advance on the subject of the dispute to which it relates.
§ Mr. GRENFELLIs it not the case that Austria has made an appeal and that a reply is due to her from the League of Nations, and, further, that the League of Nations could attend to this difficulty very much better than any foreign Power?
§ Sir J. SIMONMy hon. Friend has not stated the position quite correctly, and I would make it clear. The Austrian Government has intimated that it is appealing to the League of Nations under Article 11 of the Covenant. When that appeal is entertained the members of the Council will have to consider what to judge, and report upon it as best they can. His Majesty's Government take the view—I think that every Government in turn in this country has always taken this view—that when there is an appeal to the Council by any party which raises a dispute between two parties, it is not right for us to express a view on the one side until the other side has had an opportunity of being heard.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWhat I wish to ask is: Will his attitude towards this appeal be governed in any way by the recent events in Austria, more particularly by the fact that after he made an appeal for clemency, executions have taken place?
§ Sir J. SIMONI think that the right view must be that, when an appeal is made to a tribunal which has to decide things as fairly as it can, the proper course is for every member of the tribunal to keep an open mind until both sides of the case have been heard. With great respect, I would deprecate an effort of the British Government, or any British Government, to make ex parte statements when no other Government has done so.
§ 7. Mr. COCKSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, when special permission was granted to the Austrian Government last summer to increase its effectives by 8,000 men in order to deal with the Nazi menace, any conditions were attached as to the uses to which these forces should be put?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe purpose for which these 8,000 men were asked for, and the conditions in which they were authorised, appear in the notes exchanged between the Austrian Chargé 320 d'Affaires and myself at the time the permission was granted, the substance of which was published in the Press and of which I will send the hon. Member a copy.
§ Mr. COCKSWill the right hon. Gentleman inform the Austrian Government that the use of these forces to destroy democracy is a breach of faith?
§ 8. Mr. COCKSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make it clear to the Austrian Chancellor that His Majesty's Government's policy as to the necessity of maintaining Austria's independence and integrity in accordance with the relevant treaties is dependent upon the due observance by the Austrian Government of Article 372 of the Treaty of St. Germain, by which that government recognised as of special importance the principle of the right of association for the workers?
§ Sir J. SIMONArticle 372 of the Treaty of St. Germain, like the corresponding articles in the other Treaties of Peace, indicates the methods and principles recommended for the regulation of labour. The application of these principles is entrusted to the International Labour Organisation, of which Austria is a member, and I have no reason to doubt that Austria is fully conscious of the methods and principles recommended in the article to which the hon. Member refers.
§ Mr. COCKSIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware that in a Fascist State these associations are abrogated? In these circumstances, is there any reason why we should uphold the independence of a Fascist State?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question.
§ Mr. GRENFELLHow does the right hon. Gentleman hope to maintain the value of the International Labour Office if there is no freedom to organise within a country by constituent members of that body?
§ Sir J. SIMONThat question is put on an assumption. I can answer it in this way: If there are charges against any State in this respect—and the Article of the Treaty applies to all States—the proper tribunal to discuss them will, of course, be the International Labour Office.