§ Mr. Ivor Owen Thomas(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that General Hans Speidel, former Chief of Staff to General Rommel and now German representative on the Military Committee of the European Defence Community, will be among military representatives for E.D.C., N.A.T.O., and Commonwealth countries who are to be shown Britain's armaments strength next week; that at the invitation of the Minister of Defence, he will be among those who are to tour armament factories and Army centres and camps and to whom defence secrets will be disclosed; and whether the Prime Minister will make a statement on the matter.
§ The Prime MinisterRepresentatives of other Commonwealth countries, of the North Atlantic Treaty Powers and of the Interim Commission of the European Defence Community have been invited to attend special demonstrations which are to take place during the next fortnight in certain Army establishments in this country and at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. The representatives of the European Defence Community will include Herr Doktor Speidel (who is the German representative on the Military Committee of the Interim Commission).
I do not know any reason why the former Chief of Staff of General Rommel should be under any exceptional disability. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] On the contrary, in the height of the war, I paid my tribute to General Rommel's outstanding military gifts and I am bound to say now, in time of peace, that I also regard his resistance to the Hitler tyranny, which cost him his life, as an additional distinction to his memory. I hope that this is the kind of statement which the hon. Member would wish me to make.
§ Mr. ThomasWhile thanking the Prime Minister for his reply, may I ask whether he would not agree that it is rather an affront to the men who fought on the North African coast against the Rommel Army, which was assisted by General Hans Speidel, who was doubtless a member of the German officer class which made itself the willing partner of the Nazi regime? Is it not a bit out of place for the Prime Minister himself to pay tribute to such a person?
§ The Prime MinisterI only said now, in peace, the same kind of thing that I said in the middle of the war. If the hon. Member's line were taken there would be no peace possible between these great branches of the human family. This keeping alive of hatred is one of the worst injuries that can be done to the peace of the world, and any popularity gained thereby is shame to the Member who attempts to gather it.
§ Mr. ShinwellWould the Prime Minister be good enough not to display unnecessary excitement over this? Would he realise that this has nothing to do with hate of the Germans? Will he address himself to this simple question: is it wise, is it in the interest of security, with which he is obviously concerned, as he must be, that this ex-Nazi should be permitted an inspection of modern British arms at this time? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that whatever complaint he may have made against the late Labour Government on matters of this sort—and he made many—at the very least we never permitted ex-Nazi generals or ex-enemies to view British arms?
§ The Prime MinisterThis is a direct execution of the policy of creating N.A.T.O. and supporting the E.D.C. movement which right hon. Gentlemen opposite have to their credit, I think. This particular officer, Speidel, who has now left the regular army but has been chosen to be the representative on the international committee which forms the foundation of our attempt to build up a Western front under E.D.C. and N.A.T.O., is a man who has, I believe, for a long time past, enjoyed the confidence of British and other allied military officers. He has attended our manœuvres in Germany. It is no use the right hon. Gentleman shaking his head. I am telling him. In Germany, this officer is a much respected man.
As to his being an ex-Nazi, there are many people in Germany who were Nazis to support their country, but who did not associate themselves with the crimes of the Nazi regime. I believe it is a great factor in the peace of the world to separate those who were the active and vigorous servants and supporters of Hitler and his crimes and tyrannies from those who tried to keep the honour of the German name clear from those charges. And here is a man who was the 2155 intimate friend and supporter of General Rommel, who gave his life in resisting one of the wickedest régimes that has ever brought misery on the human race.
§ Mr. ShinwellApart from all this verbiage into which the right hon. Gentleman has unnecessarily descended—
§ The Prime MinisterThe right hon. Gentleman does not like it anyhow.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are many things that he says which I dislike—and with very good reason. But will he address himself to this question? Is he aware that the West German Government are not yet members of N.A.T.O.? Is he also aware that the West German Government, of whom this gentleman is presumably a representative, have not yet definitely decided to enter the European Defence Community? Would it not be wiser to wait until the West German Government have decided to become members of the European Defence Community and make their contribution to Western defence, with which we are primarily concerned, before permitting this man to view modern British arms?
§ The Prime MinisterThis is the interim committee. There has been a very long delay in establishing E.D.C. and also in bringing into being that German element in E.D.C. without which no pretence can be made of defending Western Europe; and this interim committee has been set on foot by the very organisations which were brought into being at the time of the late Government and for which at that time, though he has gone back on much of it since, the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell) had much credit.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhat have I gone back on?
§ The Prime MinisterOn a great many things. There was the two years' military service for instance; but, we are all quite ready to recognise that the right hon. Gentleman had special and local reasons for his change of policy on that. I do not know what he has to say about this, because it arises absolutely from the policy of the late Government and is strongly supported by Her Majesty's present advisers.
§ Mr. AttleeIs the Prime Minister not aware that in all approaches to the matter of German rearmament, hon. Members on both sides of the House I think realised that there was always the danger of resurgent German militarism, and therefore conditions were laid down with regard to the integration of German forces with some European force? That has not yet been achieved. I should have thought it premature, when we do not know what line the Germans may take on rearmament, or whether they are coming into E.D.C. at all, to invite a German general, whatever his past record, to see all our most secret things in this country.
§ The Prime MinisterAll our most secret things in this country! The inspections that are to be permitted to different countries in the N.A.T.O. alliance all arise out of the normal and, I think, healthy, working of the very bodies to the creation of which the right hon. Gentleman has the honour of having contributed. That is all that is happening. It is not a suggestion which, I may say, emanates from the political Government of this country. It is out of the workings of these institutions that the proposal has been made, and not only for this country but for other countries in the N.A.T.O. alliance. Unless one wants to bring everything to a standstill one should certainly support the interim committee arrangements.
I may say that I think it is more than four years ago that I urged that there should be created a German Army, and the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition said it was the most irresponsible thing ever said. But a year later he proposed it himself and I am the heir of decisions he took. Some were very good decisions.
§ Mr. AttleeThe right hon. Gentleman does not seem to realise—
§ Sir H. WilliamsOn a point of order. As the period fixed for the Ballot for Notices of Motions has now been exceeded by 29 minutes, do you not think, Mr. Speaker, that we ought to have the Ballot so that Private Members should not be deprived of their opportunities in the forthcoming debate?
§ Mr. SpeakerIt had occurred to me that we are having a debate on foreign 2157 affairs very shortly and that perhaps the wider issues now being raised might be discussed on that occasion; but I believe that the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition wished to ask a further question.
§ Mr. AttleeI want to ask the Prime Minister whether he realises that the German Government are not in N.A.T.O. at the present time. It is all right to say that this is done by N.A.T.O., and, obviously, it arises out of it, but the German Government are not part of N.A.T.O.
§ The Prime MinisterThat is quite true; but great anxiety has been caused to all those people who are working for the development of E.D.C. by long delays in trying to get the different Governments to agree—immense delays and no progress being made. Consequently, the sense of emergency has led them to create this interim committee, and I am quite sure that full good faith will be maintained in their visits over here by those who have so carefully been selected after great and close association with our leading officers and those of our allies.