§ 7. Mr. Pickthornasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why it is not the intention of His Majesty's Government to publish as a White Paper the British official documents of the tripartite negotiations in Moscow in 1939.
§ Mr. BevinIt was considered inappropriate to publish these documents at a time when a common enemy had to be defeated, and I think it would be better not to revive these old controversies at a time when we are actively engaged in peace making.
§ Mr. PickthornDoes not the Foreign Secretary think that there would be less controversy if there were more facts?
§ Mr. BevinNo, I do not think so. If you keep on raking up everything that has happened in the past—one against the other—you are apt to lose the possibilities of the future.
§ Mr. Sydney SilvermanDoes my right hon. Friend think that the answer which he has just made might equally well have applied to Question No. 2?
§ Mr. ThurtleDoes the right hon. Gentleman not realise that this business of raking up the past ought not to be a one-sided technique?