§ 45. Mr. Rankinasked the Prime Minister whether the statement by the President of the Board of Trade to the American Chamber of Commerce, in London, on the subject of economic cooperation with the United States of America, represents Government policy.
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)I have been asked to reply.
Yes, Sir.
§ Mr. RankinIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in that speech the President of the Board of Trade said that, in the great struggle for the mind of mankind, the system of free enterprise was best? Does he realise that, today, his hon. Friend the Member for Somerset, North (Mr. Leather) described American methods as skulduggery, and last Thursday American methods were described as unprincipled by the hon. Member for Wembley, North (Wing-Commander Bullus) and as cutting our lifeline by the hon. and gallant Member for Barkston Ash (Sir L. Ropner)? Are these the methods we are now allied with the Americans to support? In view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman's own colleagues, including the President of the Board of Trade, have stated that free enterprise is dead in America and it is dead in Russia, does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that, unless the Government wake up to what is going on outside, we shall fall between—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—the devil and the deep sea—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder.
§ Mr. RankinAm I to have an answer?
§ Mr. ButlerIf the hon. Gentleman wants an answer, I can only say that I do not accept for a moment his interpretation of American policy. I support the observations made by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, and I consider that the general alliance of interests between Great Britain and the United States of America is the safeguard of the peace of the world.