CZECHO-SLOVAKIA. (Hansard, 26 May 1939)

§ Mr. A. V. Alexander

On Wednesday of this week my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition gave notice that he would to-day raise the question of the possible consideration by His Majesty's Government of the recognition of the existing situation since the aggression of Germany in Czecho-Slovakia. I would remind the House that on Wednesday the Prime Minister was asked by the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Sandys) to give an assurance that no recognition would be given to the annexation of Czecho-Slovakia by Germany without this House being first consulted, and the Prime Minister replied that he could give no such assurance. Obviously, that answer caused very great concern to hon. Members on this side, and my right hon. Friend asked whether the Government were contemplating such action. The Prime Minister then replied, rather cryptically, that the matter was being considered. When he was further pressed, he said that the House would have its own way of expressing its, approval, and I hope that hon. Members, not merely 2702 on this side, but in all parts of the House, will feel that it would also have its own way of expressing its disapproval. It can do so either by formal vote, when there is an actual Resolution before the House, or by allowing its feelings to be expressed on such an occasion as this, when we raise the matter in questions to the Government. I hope that Members of the House, whatever their party may be, will give the Government to-day a clear indication of their view of this matter which is causing us so much anxiety. It is necessary before we go any further to remind ourselves of the views which were expressed by leading Members of His Majesty's Government as soon as the latest aggression in March against Czecho-slovakia by Germany had taken place. I think I might quote first the statement made by the Secretary of State for foreign Affairs. On 20th March he said: We have protested against the changes effected in Czecho-Slovakia by German military action and have said that in our view those changes are devoid of any basis of legality. That was a very authoritative and clear statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. In a subsequent passage in his statement on that day, he said: We are confronted with the arbitrary suppression of an independent sovereign State by force and by the violation of what I must regard as the elementary rules of international conduct. That, again, was a most powerful statement of what I think was the proper view for His Majesty's Government to take of the situation. What concerns us now is something which was summed up in a short subsequent phrase in the same statement by the Secretary of State. I remember as I was listening to him at the time that he said: Every country which is Germany's neighbour is now uncertain of the morrow. I submit that to-day, in view of the failure of the Prime Minister to satisfy the House on this point on Wednesday last, every one of those countries will be more uncertain of the morrow. To-day ought to be an occasion when we can get a statement—at least I hope we can—from the Government that no such action as some of us fear may take place will, in fact, be put into operation. I should like to support what I have quoted from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs by references to the statements of the Prime Minister himself. We were all dis- 2703 appointed with the tenor of his statement in the House on 15th March while the actual operations were still proceeding in Czecho-Slovakia. It is partly his attitude that day which make us fear what his actions may be. I recall that he said: It is natural that I should bitterly regret what has now occurred, but do not let us on that account be deflected from our course. What some of us fear is that, as has happened on many occasions in the conduct of foreign affairs since the Prime Minister took executive power in that department of the Government's activities in this House, he may again wobble from what is the proper course for this country to take. After great pressure from people of all parties in this country the Prime Minister two days later made a speech at Birmingham. Then he made one or two statements which, I think, will strongly reinforce our contention this morning that there should be no consideration even given to the question of the recognition of the state of affairs in Czecho-Slovakia. The Prime Minister made use of statements of this character at Birmingham on 17th March. He expressed indignation that hopes had been wantonly shattered. He said that Hitler had taken the law into his own hands. Surely that is not a basis for considering recognition now. Then he asked these questions which are extremely important: Is this the last attack upon a small State, or is it to be followed by others? Is this, in fact, a step in the direction of an attempt to dominate the world by force? These are grave and serious questions. I am not going to attempt to answer them to-night.