HC Deb 04 March 1942 vol 378 cc620-1
3. Commander King-Hall

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the Order of the Day issued by Premier Stalin, in which he emphasises the necessity of making a distinction between the Hitlerite régime and the German people; and whether or not this is also the policy of His Majesty's Government?

4. Miss Eleanor Rathbone

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of Premier Stalin's pronouncement of 23rd February, repudiating statements that the Red Army, inspired by racial hatred, aims at exterminating the German people and destroying the German State, and ridiculing the identification of Hitler's clique with the German people and State, and, in view of the fact that the ideas so denounced are being widely circulated in this country, he will make a statement of His Majesty's Government's attitude towards the German people and State?

Mr. Eden

The attitude of His Majesty's Government in this matter has been repeatedly stated, both on their own behalf and jointly with other Allied Governments. It is not inconsistent with the pronouncement recently made by Mr. Stalin. I would also draw my hon. Friend's attention to the statement I made on 30th August last, defining the attitude of His Majesty's Government to Germany, when I said that— our policy towards Germany after the war must have a two-fold purpose. On the one hand Germany must be placed in conditions in which it would be impossible for her again to rearm and to resume the struggle for domination over peace-loving nations. We have had enough of that from Germany. On the other hand, it is equally important that she should not become a source of poison to her neighbours and to the world by economic collapse. It is clear that neither of these purposes is attainable so long as the present régime in Germany continues.

Miss Rathbone

Will my right hon. Friend agree that it would be well to discourage the campaign in this country which refuses to make a distinction between Hitlerite Germany and Germany, and thereby leads the Germans to suppose that in the event of defeat their only hope lies in the assimilation of their system with that of Communist Russia?