HC Deb 16 April 1937 vol 322 cc1313-7
Mr. Attlee

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any fresh statement to make regarding the situation at Bilbao, in view of the message from the British Consul there that the entrance to the harbour is free from mines and that the shore batteries are adequate to protect merchant shipping in territorial waters?

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Eden)

The right hon. Gentleman is under a misapprehension. The message from His Majesty's Consul at Bilbao, to which no doubt he refers, was received on Wednesday last, and was in the following terms: President of Basque Government urgently requests you should be informed food situation critical, that harbour entrance is clear of mines, that shore batteries can effectively protect merchant shipping in territorial waters, and that blockade is not effective, as since 1st April twenty-seven vessels entered into, and thirty-two cleared from Bilbao. It will be clear from the terms of this communication that His Majesty's Consul was passing on a message from the Basque Government, and not expressing his own views.

Mr. Attlee

Do I understand that the message which came from a news agency yesterday was, therefore, entirely incorrect in saying that the message came from the British Consul?

Mr. Eden

I think there has been a misapprehension. If the right hon. Gentleman refers to the message on the tape, to which my attention was drawn, he will see that it stated that the message came through the British Consul—not from the British Consul expressing his own view. That, of course, is not the same thing at all.

Mr. Lloyd George

Have the Government taken any steps to ascertain whether the statement forwarded by the British Consul is accurate?

Mr. Eden

We are constantly receiving information from our naval authorities on the spot.

Mr. Attlee

The naval authorities, I gather, are at sea or at St. Jean de Luz. What is the information from our Consul actually in the port?

Mr. Eden

I have had a message from the Consul dealing with conditions in Bilbao, and clearly he is well qualified to express that. He is not so well qualified to express, and has not expressed, an opinion as to the conditions at sea.

Mr. Lloyd George

May I press the Foreign Secretary on this point, because it is vital? I understand that the Government communicated with the Admiral in charge of British ships in that particular part of Spanish waters. Have they communicated to him the message of the President of the Basque Republic sent through the British Consul, and have they inquired whether in his judgment it is correct or whether it is not?

Mr. Eden

We have had, as I say, a report from the Consul at Bilbao, but there are difficulties, which the House may perhaps appreciate, in confidential communications coming through from an area situated as Bilbao is now. I do not want to go into details, but hon. Members who have been in Office will appreciate what the difficulties may be. Naturally we do all we can to secure full information.

Mr. Lloyd George

What I want to find out is whether that message which came through the British Consul has been communicated to the Admiral in charge of British ships there, and whether he has been asked for his opinion on the statement made.

Mr. Eden

I beg the right hon. Gentleman's pardon; I did not understand his question. I cannot answer it without notice, but, if the Admiral is not in possession of it—I am almost confident that he will be—the information will certainly be given to him. The House will appreciate that it is the same information which the right hon. Gentleman gave in the course of the Debate on Wednesday.

Mr. Crossley

Can the Foreign Secretary confirm a report that a ship was hit yesterday in Bilbao Harbour by a bomb?

Mr. Eden

No, Sir, I cannot.

Mr. Noel-Baker

Have the Government received full reports from the naval officers on the spot, and have they received any further and more detailed information about mines, beyond that which the Home Secretary gave?

Mr. Eden

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will put that question down; I do not think I can debate this matter at the present moment.

Mr. Arthur Henderson

Is not the statement made by the Basque Government supported by the report in the "Times" this morning that the British steamer "Brinkburn" cleared from the port of Bilbao on Wednesday last without any incident?

Mr. Eden

Nobody has ever said that no ship can get in or out of Bilbao.

Mr. Attlee

In view of the information that the system of observation is to come into force on Monday, will a British vessel interpret non-intervention in the terms used by the Home Secretary in this House, as preventing it from going through, or will food vessels be allowed to pass?

Mr. Eden

The right hon. Gentleman's interpretation is in no way justified.

Lieut.-Commander Fletcher

What steps are being taken by the Government to bring to the notice of shipowners and shipmaster the decision of the Government that ships wishing to clear from Spanish ports will be given the full protection of His Majesty's Navy?

Mr. Eden

It has been known and made public that it has consistently been our policy that they will be protected on the high seas.

Mr. R. Acland

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information to confirm the report that the British merchant ship "Mary Llewellyn" left St. Jean de Luz some time in the last 24 hours to proceed to Bilbao; whether the "Mary Llewellyn" was accompanied up to the limits of Spanish territorial waters by any British warship; and whether it has been or will be an instruction to commanders of British warships in the neighbourhood of Bilbao that so far as is reasonably practicable they are to accompany up to the limits of Spanish territorial waters any British merchant ships that may desire to proceed to Bilbao contrary to the advice of His Majesty's Government?

Mr. Eden

I have only had very short notice of this Question—in fact, only half an hour—and it has not been possible in the time to make inquiries with regard to the particular case to which the hon. Member refers. On the general question dealt with in the last part of his Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the explicit statement which I made at the close of my speech in last Wednesday's Debate in reply to a specific question put to me by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Sir A. Sinclair). This, I think, covers the point which the hon. Member has in mind.

Mr. Acland

It does with one exception. Will it be, or has it been, an instruction to British Commanders on the spot that they are to go?

Mr. Eden

Of course, what I told the House on Wednesday night was the position and everyone concerned has been informed that that is the position.

Mr. Acland

Has been?

Mr. Eden

Of course.