HC Deb 12 February 1957 vol 564 cc1059-61
20. Mr. Shinwell

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it was with his authority that Sir Richard Gale, ex-commander of our forces in Germany, stated that a reduction of 30,000 men in the Army is a practical proposition; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Hare

No, Sir, I did not authorise General Gale to make the statement attributed to him, and the article makes it clear that the views are not official policy. General Gale did not give his authority for his name to be affixed to the article. He thought the views would appear as those of the correspondent, who saw him as a friend, but the correspondent apparently thought he was free to use General Gale's name. It is in the interest of the Army that on appropriate occasions senior officers should talk to the Press on matters within their sphere of responsibility. In this case I think General Gale should not have spoken as he did, and I have told him so.

Mr. Emrys Hughes

Tell Montgomery that.

Mr. Shinwell

While not in any way criticising General Gale for having communicated his views to the Press, because, after all, this is a free country and even ex-commanders of our forces are entitled to express their views, may I ask the Minister whether it is not strange that an ex-commander of our forces in Germany should suggest that we can reduce our forces in that area by 30,000 men, when General Norstad, the Supreme Allied Commander, is demanding that there should be no reduction at all? Who are we to believe, and what are the views of the right hon. Gentleman?

Mr. Hare

In answer to the right hon. Gentleman, may I say that so far as I know General Gale did not give any figures to the journalist concerned, and, therefore, I do not think that I can very well answer that question. If he did, they were probably his own personal opinion, and all matters dealing with the numbers of men who could or could not be removed from Germany are purely matters of speculation, because the Government are working on the problem at the moment and no decision has been made.

Mr. Strachey

Is it not the case that this article was actually signed by General Gale, and is it now suggested, not merely that these views were wrongly attributed to General Gale, but that he did not authorise the article to be signed as being by him at all? If that is the case, ought not some very clear action to be taken to make the position clear, because it was not a mere attribution this was a signed article by the general?

Mr. Hare

As I said in my Answer, I think that the journalist in question thought that he was at liberty to use General Gale's name. In fact, General Gale never signed the article. Although the journalist, as I have said, thought he had permission to use General Gale's name, that permission, in fact, was not given. So far as the figures are concerned, General Gale did not give figures.

Mr. Shinwell

Leaving aside the question whether or not General Gale intended that the article should be published and what the journalist in question did or did not do, is it not remarkable that the ex-commander of our forces, having just returned from Germany, should suggest a reduction of 30,000 men, and yet those views apparently should not have percolated through to the War Office. What are the right hon. Gentleman's views about it?

Mr. Hare

I am not saying what views have percolated to the War Office. I am trying to answer the Question, which has nothing to do with how many men there should be in B.A.O.R.

Mr. John Hall

Can my right hon. Friend say whether General Gale did or did not give any figures to the Press, because that seems to be a very important matter?

Mr. Hare

So far as I know, General Gale did not give figures to the Press, but he corrected a figure and gave an approximate alternative.

Mr. Bellenger

As General Gale is an ex-commander who has only recently retired, a statement made by him to the Press is surely of considerable importance to the War Office. Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether General Gale, when actively serving in command of our forces, made to the War Office any representations approximating to those made in the article, and, if so, what action the War Office took?

Mr. Hare

That is an entirely different question. I have been asked whether I gave authority to General Gale to make this statement. I did not give him authority and, as I have told the House, I do not think that he should have allowed the Press interview to take place.