§ 47. Lieut.-Colonel Liptonasked the Prime Minister what requests he will make for financial aid from the United States of America when he visits President Truman.
§ The Prime MinisterAs I have said previously, I do not think it would be fitting for me to make a public statement now about the questions on which I hope to have confidential discussions with President Truman.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of letting either this House or the people of this country have some general idea of the lines on which he is proposing to proceed?
§ The Prime MinisterI should not like to fetter my actions in any way at the present time either in regard to what I actually do or what I say beforehand about what I am going to do.
§ Colonel Gomme-DuncanDoes my right hon. Friend agree that the whole country is longing for the time when this country will not have to go to any foreign country for financial aid?
§ The Prime MinisterI am sure we all agree upon that, but whether this is a particularly felicitous moment for stressing it I cannot say.
§ Mr. Hugh GaitskellWould the right hon. Gentleman confirm that the question of financial aid is really closely associated with the discussions taking place in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on sharing the burden of rearmament fairly between the different member countries?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. I was hoping not so much to deal with specific points as to make sure that, as far as possible, on both sides of the Atlantic we are looking from our different angles through the same eyes at the many problems that lie before us.