HC Deb 04 February 1953 vol 510 cc1819-21
9. Mr. Dodds

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how far the provisions of the McCarran Act have been applied to British personnel and trans-Atlantic services; and what protests have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the Government of the United States of America.

15. Mr. Wyatt

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the nature of the protest made by Her Majesty's Government to the United States Government concerning the screening under the McCarran Act of the crews of British ships and aircraft entering the United States of America; and what reply the United States Government have made.

23. Mr. Bence

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he contemplates taking on the decision of the United States Government to screen British crews.

The Minister of State (Mr. Selwyn Lloyd)

I would refer the hon. Members to replies which I gave on 20th and 28th January to the hon. Member for Itchen (Mr. Morley). The provision of the McCarran-Walter Act under which all foreign seamen and aircraft crews entering the United States of America are required to obtain conditional landing permits has been applied since 24th December last. As regards aircraft crews, who have for some time past been provided with passports and United States visas, I am not aware that any special difficulty has arisen. Pending a reply from the State Department to our Note of 24th December last, no further action is contemplated.

Mr. Dodds

Whilst thanking the right hon. and learned Gentleman for that information, may I ask him whether he is aware of the strong feeling in this country that Senator McCarran has done a lot of harm to Anglo-American good will, and that most think that he ranks with McCarthy as the best recruiting sergeant for Communism?

Mr. Wyatt

Will the Minister ask his right hon. Friend to take this opportunity. while Mr. Dulles is in London, to point out to him that this Act does much more service to Russian Communism than it does to catching Communist agents, because it provides one of those needless irritants which causes friction between America and Britain and also between America and other countries of Europe?

Mr. Lloyd

If the hon. Members who have asked supplementary questions will refer to my answer of 20th January, they will see that we have put what we consider to be very strong reasons to the United States Government for this matter being reconsidered.

Mr. Bence

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman agree that the McCarran Act is in some sense a form of international legislation and is perhaps compelling conditions of employment to be imposed on British crews which are abhorrent to the British tradition of individual freedom, and that the British Merchant Marine may be in the position of not being able to sign crews until they are sure that those crews have no un-American characteristics in their philosophy of life?

Mr. Lloyd

We have pointed out strongly to the United States Government that we regard the provisions of this Act as contrary to the generally accepted practice of maritime countries.

Mr. Younger

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman remind the United States Government that when a year or two ago we abolished visas for Americans coming here, despite the fact that we could get no reciprocity from them, we made a very considerable gesture, and the least that we were entitled to expect was that the normal practice of Western democratic nations would be pursued in relation to British people going to America?

Mr. Longden

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that President Eisenhower has already, in his first message to Congress, used words about this Act which indicate that he himself considers it an un-American activity?

Mr. Lloyd

It is certainly correct that President Eisenhower has made a reference to this Act in his State of the Union message. I would also remind the House that this legislation was passed over President Truman's veto.