§ Mr. WarbeyOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Are we to have a statement from the Minister of State or the Foreign Secretary on our relations with the Nazi Government in Saigon?
§ Mr. SpeakerI have had no application to make a statement—without adopting any description or epithet.
§ Mr. WarbeyThen, if there is to be no statement, Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek your permission to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely,
the failure of Her Majesty's Government to withdraw recognition and support from the Government of the Republic—
§ Sir R. CaryOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I have a case of a breach of privilege to put to you—
§ Mr. SpeakerThat follows after an application of this kind, in our order of batting. Mr. Warbey.
§ Mr. WarbeyAs what I was saying was interrupted, perhaps I can begin again.
I wish to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely,
the failure of Her Majesty's Government to withdraw recognition and support from the Government of the Republic of Vietnam immediately following the publication of an admission by the Prime Minister, Air Marshal Nguyen Cao Ky, that his Government and his Government's policy are modelled on those of Adolf Hitler.I have to show that the matter is definite and urgent—and not funny, as the Leader of the Opposition seems to 1132 think. The definiteness of the matter is established, first, by the fact that there has been a failure on the part of Her Majesty's Government to withdraw recognition. Over a week ago they stated that they were recognising the new Government in Saigon, headed by Air Marshal Cao Ky, and that they recognised the Air Marshal as the Leader of the Government of the democratic Republic—not of the democratic Republic, but of the Republic of Vietnam; and, moreover, recognised that Government as the Government of the whole of Vietnam, and not merely of the Southern half. Her Majesty's Government have had an opportunity since yesterday's publication to withdraw recognition, and they have not taken it.Publication appears in yesterday's Sunday Mirror, with the headline:
Our Ally: A Premier whose Hero is Hitler.There is a report of an interview in Saigon with Air Marshal Ky, in the course of which he describes the methods and policies which his Government pursue, and will pursue, in Vietnam—methods which involve the use of deliberate and calculated violence and cruelty in accordance with Nazi methods. He is quoted as saying:People ask me who my heroes are. I have only one—Hitler.He also says:We need four or five Hitlers in Vietnam.That appeared—[Laughter.] Apparently the Opposition Front Bench still think that this is funny—
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member must not abuse the application by making observations about other Members. Let him get on with the basis of it.
§ Mr. WarbeyWith great respect, I should have thought that one of your duties as Speaker was to ensure—[Hon. MEMBERS: "Order."]—one of your duties as Speaker was to ensure that a request of the type which I am making, namely, for the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9, should be listened to in silence and without interruption. [Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Do not let us distress the hon. Member. Let us hear him in silence.
§ Mr. WarbeyI am grateful to you, Mr. Speaker. I was going on to say that this publication appeared yesterday and this, therefore, is the first opportunity which I have to raise the matter in the House. I must, of course, raise it at the first opportunity.
The next question is: is it also urgent? I should have thought that it was a matter of supreme urgency that for the sake of the name of Britain, the British people, the British Government and the standing of Britain in the world, as a supporter of the principles of freedom and democracy, we should not hesitate for one hour in withdrawing recognition and support from a régime in Vietnam which is now publicly admitted in the eyes of the whole world to be a Facist, Nazi régime pursuing well-known Nazi methods of the use of violence and cruetly as a deliberate instrument of policy. I should have thought that the Government would have welcomed a debate today so that they could make the necessary announcement in order to put Britain's good name back where it ought to be in the world.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House pursuant to Standing Order No. 9 for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely,
the failure of Her Majesty's Government to withdraw recognition and support from the Government of the Republic of Vietnam immediately following the publication of an admission by the Prime Minister, Air Marshal Nguyen Cao Ky, that his Government and his Government's policy are modelled on those of Adolf Hitler.I cannot accede to the hon. Member's request to leave this to the House.
§ Mr. PagetOn a point of order, for guidance. I had always been under the impression that the rule on Standing Order No. 9 submissions was that one must state one's facts succinctly, without argument and without comment. Has that practice been altered, as this seems to be the second time on which we have had a rather long tendentious speech?
§ Mr. SpeakerI have heard them in that form from both sides of the House in my time. What we should aim at, of course, is just making the application succinctly and effectively, bearing in mind that it would be quite out of order to 1134 make on the application the kind of speech that one could make were the application to be granted. I hope that everybody will remember that.
§ Mr. WarbeyFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I say, first, that I am grateful for your Ruling on the matter of the succinctness of an application? I think that if reference is made to HANSARD tomorrow it will be found that I confined myself to a statement of fact and not to argument.
Secondly, may I say that I make a final plea—
§ Sir W. Bromley-DavenportIs this a point of order?
§ Mr. WarbeyI am on a point of order—
§ Mr. SpeakerSupposing there be a point of order it should be heard in silence so that I can hear it. Will the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Warbey) be good enough to say what it is?
§ Mr. WarbeyThe point of order is that I make a final plea to your—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."] I make a final plea to you in my submission on the matter of urgency—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am sorry I did not deal with the hon. Member's application on the matter of urgency, but I have ruled on it and no point of order arises.