HC Deb 27 April 1954 vol 526 cc1455-9
26. Mr. Sorensen

asked the Prime Minister if he will give an assurance that no agreement in respect of Asian defensive measures has been or will be made with the United States Government without full prior consultation with Asian and other members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Prime Minister

This point will arise in the reply I shall give to the Question, of which I have received Private Notice, by the Leader of the Opposition, and I ask leave to deal with it then.

Later—

Mr. Attlee (by Private Notice)

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any statement to make with regard to the meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Paris.

The Prime Minister

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Paris marked the fifth anniversary of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty and reviewed in its military aspects the international situation. No doubt hon. Members will have read the communiqué issued after the meeting, which, for convenience, I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

While in Paris there were naturally conversations between the Foreign Ministers especially about the grave local situation in French Indo-China. No decisions were taken in advance of the Conference at Geneva. All the Powers concerned are now in session there. The preliminary stage of procedure which has so often absorbed much time and energy has been settled, with the full agreement of the Four Powers who initiated the Conference, with a smoothness and celerity which is at least a good augury for the spirit which should animate the proceedings. The House will, I am sure, be anxious that nothing should be said here today which would render more difficult the momentous discussions and vital contacts which are now in progress.

The episode of the siege of the French fortress of Dien Bien Phu, the fate of which now hangs in the balance, creates a violent tension in many minds at a time when calm judgment is most needed. The timing of the climax of this assault with the opening of the Geneva Conference is not without significance but it must not be allowed to prejudice the sense of world proportion which should inspire the Conference and be a guide to those who are watching its progress.

Three of the Commonwealth countries are represented by high authorities at the Conference, and the closest intimacy and sense of unity prevails between them and us. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is also in constant touch with the other members of the Commonwealth. In order that his Cabinet colleagues and he should be in full agreement, he returned to this country last Saturday, and we had lengthy meetings on Sunday at which all the questions pending were considered, and we had the advantage of the professional advice of the Chiefs of Staff. As a result we have the fullest confidence in the wisdom of the course which we have agreed my right hon. Friend should follow in circumstances so largely governed by the unknown.

Her Majesty's Government are not prepared to give any undertakings about United Kingdom military action in Indo-China in advance of the results of Geneva. We have not entered into any new political or military commitments. My right hon. Friend has, of course, made it clear to his colleagues at Geneva that if settlements are reached there Her Majesty's Government will be ready to play their full part in supporting them in order to promote a stable peace in the Far East.

Mr. Attlee

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he sees any possibility of dealing with the urgent matter of Indo-China in advance of Korea, with a view to getting some kind of standstill arrangement?

The Prime Minister

I am sure that is one of the matters they will be considering at Geneva.

Mr. Sorensen

First of all, I take it that the Prime Minister's answer to my Question, embodied in his general reply, is in the affirmative. May I ask him whether the proposals emanating from Prime Minister Nehru have been before himself or our colleagues in the Commonwealth countries?

The Prime Minister

Yes, Sir, I am sure they are before everybody; they have been published at large.

Mr. Walker-Smith

Would my right hon. Friend ask the Foreign Secretary to urge upon the Geneva Conference, as a matter of the greatest priority and urgency, the desirability of an immediate truce for the purpose of evacuating the wounded from Dien Bien Phu?

The Prime Minister

That Question will no doubt be conveyed in the ordinary course to the Secretary of State, but I am sure that this matter is before all those who are gathered in Geneva.

Mr. Donnelly

Is it not a fact that the Asian Prime Ministers' conference opens at Colombo tomorrow; and what steps are Her Majesty's Government taking to arrange for a liaison between the views presented by the British Government at Geneva and the views of the Commonwealth countries which are meeting in Colombo, and which are not directly represented at Geneva?

The Prime Minister

I must ask for notice of that Question.

Mr. Wyatt

Could the Prime Minister arrange, while the Geneva Conference is in progress, for a senior Minister from this country to visit India, Pakistan and Burma, and, on the spot, consult with the Governments so as to have the latest and most up-to-date information possible about South-East Asian reactions to any possible course taken by the Western Powers?

The Prime Minister

No, I do not think that would be the normal method of employing senior Ministers in this country.

Mr. Fanner Brockway

While expressing appreciation of the tone of the Prime Minister's statement and of the undesirability of saying anything in this House which will increase the dangers, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he does not agree that it is also desirable that action should not be taken outside this House which would increase the apprehensions of the present time; and whether he will not particularly respond to the proposals which have been made by the Prime Minister of India for a cease-fire in Indo-China, and constructive suggestions for peace rather than taking any action which may extend the war?

The Prime Minister

I think that is covered by my general statement.

Mr. S. Silverman

In view of the obvious close and vital interest which India must have in any general policy about South-East Asia, would the Prime Minister say what efforts have been made, since Mr. Nehru made his recent speech, to establish any co-ordinated policy between the Foreign Secretary and the Commonwealth of India?

The Prime Minister

I said that they were in constant touch.

Following is the text of the communiqué published after the North Atlantic Council Ministerial Meeting on 23rd April.

  1. 1. At a Ministerial Meeting held in Paris today, five years after the Treaty was signed, the North Atlantic Council reviewed the progress made by the Organization, examined the present international situation, and exchanged views on problems of common interest. The meeting was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the member governments under the chairmanship of M. Bidault.
  2. 2. The Vice-Chairman and Secretary General, Lord Ismay, reported on the work of the Organization. His survey emphasised the effective working relationship developing within the Alliance, a relationship which goes beyond the formal obligations assumed by its members. The Foreign Ministers took this opportunity to reaffirm their association in the Atlantic Alliance as fundamental to the policies of their respective governments. Re calling the defensive and peaceful aims of the Treaty, they expressed their resolve to maintain and develop the Alliance not only as the firm basis for the collective defence of their peoples, but also as an enduring association for common action and cooperation between the member states in every field.
  3. 3. After discussing international developments since its last meeting, the Council found no evidence that the ultimate aims of the Soviet Union had altered, and noted that the military strength of the Soviet Union and its satellites continues to increase. The Council therefore once more agreed upon the need for continuing efforts, vigilance and unity.
  4. 4. The Council—reaffirming its long-established position that the institution of the European Defence Community is in the essential interest of the Alliance—welcomed the ratification of the E.D.C. Treaty by a number of the signatories since the last Ministerial Meeting, which brings closer the entry into force of the Treaty. The Council also expressed its gratification at the far-reaching steps taken by the Governments of the United Kingdom and United States towards co-operation with the European Defence Community, thus ensuring their lasting and close association with the defence of the continent of Europe.
  5. 5. With regard to the recent declaration by the Soviet Government on the status of their zone of occupation in Germany, the Council noted with approval that member governments 1459 of the Organization had no intention of recognising the sovereignty of the so-called German Democratic Republic or of treating the German authorities there as a government. It decided that the Permanent Representatives should draw up a resolution on this subject.
  6. 6. The Council, with a view to developing further the habit of political consultation in the Council, adopted a resolution on that subject, the text of which has been published separately.
  7. 7. The Council paid tribute to the gallantry of the French Union forces fighting in Indo-China. It expressed the hope that the Geneva Conference will have positive results.