HC Deb 13 July 1949 vol 467 c432
57. Mr. Platts-Mills

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will now invite the United States Government to remove from British soil the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Naval Forces in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, established in London after the end of the Second World War.

The Minister of State (Mr. McNeil)

No, Sir.

Mr. Platts-Mills

Does not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that this situation—having a foreign naval headquarters in Britain in peacetime—is unique in our history since that rather discreditable incident when one of our forefathers paid the Danes to take their naval headquarters away? Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that we ought to stick to the tradition?

Mr. McNeil

The hon. Gentleman's history is as inaccurate as his logic usually is.

Brigadier Medlicott

Would it not be better for the Foreign Secretary to invite the Russian Government to remove from British soil the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the fellow travellers?

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