VIETNAM (Hansard, 16 November 1967)

§ Q2. Mr. Marten
asked the Prime Minister what fresh initiatives he has taken in recent months towards a solution of the Vietnam problem.

§ The Prime Minister
Her Majesty's Government are in constant touch with the Governments concerned and are always ready to take the initiative should there appear to be any chance of bringing peace to Vietnam.

§ Mr. Marten
In view of that situation, could the right hon. Gentleman now quite simply give the House of Commons a firm assurance that Her Majesty's Government will continue to support the United States Administration in their fight for freedom in Vietnam?

§ The Prime Minister
I have stated our position on a number of occasions. Our aim and duty, as co-Chairman, is to bring the parties to the conference table. Everything else will be subordinate to that question. I strongly support the recent initiative taken by the President of the United States in his San Antonio speech, in which, I thought, he made clear again the basis on which such talks could take place; and we shall support them.

§ Mr. Mendelson
Would not my right hon. Friend accept that this would be an appropriate time for Her Majesty's Government to identify themselves with the advice given by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to President Johnson—to stop the bombing so that negotiations may be started—and so join the Governments of Canada, Sweden and many other of our allies in such a move?

§ The Prime Minister
I only wish that Hanoi would accept the views of the vast majority of the United Nations, including the Secretary-General, that they should come to thrash out these matters under the leadership of the Secretary-General at the United Nations. This is one of 627 the difficulties. President Johnson has said that he will stop the bombing and is ready to stop the bombing, provided it leads to talks and provided that military advantage is not taken of that situation; and I think that that is reasonable.

§ Mr. Thorpe
As a co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference, do we take the view that the continuation of bombing will make it more or less likely that the North Vietnamese will come to the conference table?

§ The Prime Minister
As a co-Chairman, our job is to get the parties together, and we have made a number of initiatives to that end. More than two years ago we said that the bombing ought to stop and that the infiltration from the north ought to stop. Had we been listened to, a great deal of unnecessary bloodshed and misery on both sides would have been avoided.

Mr. Alan Lee Williams
Would my right hon. Friend agree that, in spite of the uncompromising attitude of Hanoi, the next bombing pause will be extremely important and that, if it is to succeed, it should be for a prolonged period and not necessarily confined to Christmas or the New Year?

§ The Prime Minister
I very much agree with my hon. Friend's point. He will be aware of the efforts which Mr. Kosygin and I made to extend the Tettruce—the new year truce—last February; and to use that as a means of getting the parties to the conference table. I cannot at the moment foreshadow what might happen during what we hope will be pauses in the fighting both at Christmas and the Vietnamese New Year.

§ Mr. Emery
In any initiative he may take, will the Prime Minister ensure that he stays in close co-operation with the Australian Government—who are themselves so committed to the fight in Vietnam—so that nothing we do acts against their Commonwealth interests?

§ The Prime Minister
Yes, Sir. We always keep in the closest touch with all Commonwealth Governments in these matters. The Australian Government were very strong supporters of the Commonwealth initiative taken by Her Majesty's Government two years ago—not supported, I think, by all hon. Mem- 628 bers opposite. We have certainly kept in touch with them, and have had their support in every initiative we have taken since.

§ Mr. Molloy
As there seems to be no end to this merciless, horrid war, which is causing so much anguish in the United States as well as in Vietnam, will my right hon. Friend now, in the name of humanity, see President Johnson, to commence a fresh initiative to end this horrid conflict?

§ The Prime Minister
I agree with what my hon. Friend has said about the nature of the war and the suffering caused to both sides by the fighting. I am in close touch with President Johnson on this matter and have been at all times. But, of course, for an initiative to be successful means a response from both sides.