§ Q4. Mr. Zilliacusasked the Prime Minister whether it was with his authority that Mr. Gordon Walker made a public declaration at New Delhi on Monday 3rd May that United States bombing in Vietnam was justified.
§ The Prime MinisterThere was no question of specific authority for this Press Conference and the reports I have seen of Mr. Gordon Walker's remarks in Delhi suggest that these were in general accord with the position of Her Majesty's Government as described by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, during the Foreign Affairs debate on 1st April and, later, in his statement on Vietnam on 3rd June.
§ Mr. ZilliacusDoes my right hon. Friend recall that Mr. Gordon Walker said that the air bombing was useful and then corrected that to say that it was necessary? In view of the sheer barbarity of these operations, of their futility and of the fact that the whole attempt to compel the Hanoi Government to come to the conference table by air bombing North Vietnam is contrary to the Charter as well as a failure, would he not urge that the United States should abandon this practice as a preliminary in order to make negotiations possible?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not agree with the diagnosis and analysis of my hon. Friend. If he wishes me to do so, I will draw his remarks to the attention of Mr. Gordon Walker. I would simply say this on what he has said. As I understand it, the bombing of North Vietnam is not related to any attempt to try to persuade or force Hanoi to come to the conference table. If it were, it might be in danger of being counter-productive rather than productive. It is directly related to the supply routes of the Vietcong in South Vietnam. But, on the general question of Vietnam policy and what might be done in future, I cannot add anything to what I said in answer to a supplementary question by my hon. Friend the Member for Penistone (Mr. Mendelson) two days ago.
§ Mr. Eldon GriffithsWould not the Prime Minister agree that both this Government and the United States Government—not to speak of the Indian Government and many others—have sought by every means available to them to bring the Communist Powers to the conference table and that time and again they have refused?
§ The Prime MinisterThat has certainly been our objective, and we have worked very hard for this purpose over the past 889 few months. So far we have not been successful. But I would say to the hon. Gentleman that in anything as vital as this—and recent events even since we last considered Vietnam two days ago have underlined the growing gravity of the situation—we must all accept as our line on this that we never take "No" for an answer.