§ 26. Mr. Sorensenasked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to a recent speech by the President of the United States appealing for international disarmament; and whether His Majesty's Government will invite the President and the United States Government to formulate proposals and to take the initiative for their consideration by the governments of the Great Powers?
§ The Prime MinisterI have seen the statement to which the hon. Member refers, which is naturally welcomed by His Majesty's Government. As regards the second part of the question, I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Kingswinford (Mr. A. Henderson) on 22nd June last.
§ Mr. SorensenIs the Prime Minister himself taking any action with regard to this appeal of the President of the United States, and does not the right hon. Gentleman think it well to seize all such opportunities to encourage peace and the remoter hope of disarmament?
§ The Prime MinisterThe question contained a different suggestion, to invite the President and the Government of the United States to formulate proposals. I think that if they wished to formulate proposals it would not be necessary for us to invite them to do it.
§ Mr. SorensenWould it not be well to give them a little encouragement?
§ 32. Mr. Garro Jonesasked the Prime Minister whether His Majesty's Government have made any progress towards the fulfilment of their intention, announced last year, to endeavour to bring about, under new and more explicit international law, the abolition of bombing of civil populations; and, if not, whether he will consider reducing the Government's views on this question to explicit proposals which would form the basis of thought and discussion by the Governments and peoples of all countries?
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the hon. Member to my recent statements on this subject and in particular to my reply to the hon. Member for Kingswinford (Mr. A. Henderson) on 11th July, to which I have nothing at present to add.
§ Mr. Garro JonesWill the Prime Minister keep in mind that in modern negotiations for disarmament proposals of this kind, progress has more than once, notably in the case of the first Washington Treaty, only been made by the tabling of definite and explicit proposals out of the confusion of preliminary negotiations? Will he, therefore, consider advancing the matter one stage further in this manner?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, that is precisely the consideration which the Government have in mind. As I explained in my earlier statement, what the Government are trying to do is to find whether it is possible to reduce general ideas to explicit proposals.