Lords Sitting of 4 February 1943

Preamble
The House met, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

THE PARLIAMENTARY MISSION TO CHINA
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT CRANBORNE) (Lord Cecil): My Lords, Your Lordships will recall the departure in the latter part of last year of a Parliamentary Mission from both Houses of Parliament, composed of Lord Ailwyn, Lord Teviot, and the Honourable Members for West Renfrew and Chester-le-Street, to China at the invitation of the Generalissimo Chiang-Kai-shek. I am glad to tell the House to-day that the Mission has now returned safely to this country, and I am sure that noble Lords will wish me on their behalf to give the members a very warm welcome and to congratulate them on the outstanding success of their long and adventurous journey.
The month which the Mission spent in China was, I understand, a very full one. They were entertained with characteristic kindness and hospitality, and their hosts extended themselves to show them everything which was possible in the time available. They paid a visit to the battle front; they were shown many and various aspects of the Chinese war effort; and they were able to give an account to the people of China of what we, for our part, are achieving in this country. They were also able to assure them, both in public speeches and in private talks, of the complete determination of the British Government and the British people to continue the war against Japan, as against the other members of the Axis, until complete victory has been achieved. All accounts make it clear that wherever they went they won the confidence and the esteem of everyone they met, and that is no small tribute in a country so world-famous for the charm and tact of its human relationships.
Your Lordships, I think, would also wish me to express to the Chinese authorities our warm thanks for the unfailing courtesy and care which they devoted to
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the arrangements for the Parliamentary Mission. It was in keeping with the tradition of Chinese hospitality, which has always been renowned throughout the world. Where all were so hospitable, I hope it will not be invidious to mention in particular the name of the Chinese Ambassador to this country, Dr. Wellington Koo. The delegation were extraordinarily fortunate that the Ambassador's well-earned leave coincided with their visit to China. Dr. Koo's assistance, I understand, was absolutely invaluable in conveying to the brave and steadfast Chinese people an understanding of the part which we here are playing in the common cause of free nations. Not, I understand, the least interesting part, though not the original purpose, of their experience was the visit which they had the opportunity to pay to Turkey on their way home; and there, too, they were received in the warmest way and with the most perfect hospitality. That is one more reflection of the kindly feeling and sympathy for the Government and people of this country which are entertained in Turkey. The members of the Parliamentary Mission undoubtedly have by their visits done a very great work for this country, and I should like to offer them on behalf of your Lordships our most sincere thanks.
LORD ADDISON: My Lords, on behalf of myself and my friends of the Labour Party I should like to associate ourselves most heartily with what the noble Viscount the Leader of the House has said. I am sure the country will greatly appreciate not only the noble Viscount's tribute to the members of the Mission but his reference to the need for our increased help to the heroic Chinese. Anything that can be done to augment that help or to strengthen the close relations between ourselves and the Chinese will, I am sure, be welcomed by the whole country. If this Mission has in any way contributed—as I am sure it has—to that desirable end, it is another reason why we should heartily associate ourselves with the thanks suggested by the Leader of the House.
LORD DENMAN: My Lords, I would like on behalf of my friends on these benches to associate myself with what has been said by both noble Lords with regard to the journey undertaken by the Mission to China. I do not see Lord

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Ailwyn here, but we are very glad to see the noble Lord, Lord Teviot, safely back on the red Benches of your Lordships' House. They have undertaken a long journey by air, not without peril and not without adventure, I understand. If in the course of their travels they have worn out their kit I hope that a grateful Government will issue them with new coupons.
LORD TEVIOT: My Lords, I am sorry my noble friend Lord Ailwyn does not appear to be here, but I am sure I am speaking just as much for him as for myself when I say how deeply grateful we are for the kind words that have just fallen from the Leader of the House. Indeed it has been a great adventure, and, looking back upon it, I am quite certain there was not a discordant note, either in China or in Turkey, the two great countries which we visited. I hope that your Lordships will agree that at some future date—we landed in this country only late last night—we might have a debate on our experiences, because I think there is a lot of interesting information which we might give to the House.
There were just two episodes which I would like to mention, which will show your Lordships the spirit in which we were received and entertained. We flew, after a fortnight's visit, from Chungking to Sian in a Chinese plane piloted by a Chinese. We had the usual magnificent reception; if we had been members of the Royal Family it could not have been finer. The Governor gave a dinner for us—and when I speak of the Governor you should remember that these Governors in China are men who rule over fifty or sixty million people, so that they are very important. Well, in the middle of dinner a message came and the Governor left the dinner table. He came back in a few minutes, and said the Generalissimo himself had been on the telephone, and that he wished to know that we had landed safely and that the rooms and the arrangements made for our comfort were as he had ordered them. That happened not only at Sian but at Chengtu and at Kunming. Such an incident shows a very high type of host, particularly in view of the great burden which lies on the shoulders of that very great man.
And there was one episode in our journey back through Turkey to which I
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must refer. On our return from Istanbul we arrived about midnight at the station at Ankara—and. Ankara at this time of year is not a very warm place—and we found representatives of the Turkish Assembly and important people in the Turkish Government there waiting to bid us God-speed in the few minutes that the train stopped at the station. I think your Lordships will agree with me that those were two very touching episodes, which show the friendly feeling which the Chinese and the Turks evidently must have for our people. I again thank you, my Lords, for the very kind way in which you have received the all too flattering words of the Leader of the House, and I want again to say that I hope there will be an opportunity later on to discuss this matter at greater length.
LORD AILWYN: My Lords, I desire to express my most grateful thanks for the kind words which have been spoken by the Leader of the House about the Mission. I should like also to say how much I have valued the privilege of being given an opportunity of serving your Lordships in this particular way. It has been a great honour to us all to represent Parliament on this Mission. And further, in this, my first public utterance after my return, I ought to say how much we appreciate the tremendous courtesy and consideration shown to us by the Chinese Government, by that great man, the Generalissimo, and by the Chinese people. We have brought back with us a memory of a most courageous and steadfast people. We found no sign of war weariness in a country that has been at war for just on six years. We were received with acclamation wherever we went, and nothing could exceed the kindness with which we were met by all sections of the Chinese people. In this connexion a tribute should be paid to the great courtesy of the British Ambassador in Chungking, Sir Horace Seymour, and also of Dr. Wellington Koo, Chinese Ambassador in London, who gave up his very hardly-earned holiday in order to help us through our long Mission. I am grateful to your Lords-hips for having given me the opportunity of saying these few words.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

ROYAL COMMISSION.
The Royal Assent was given to the following Bills and Measures:

Consolidated Fund (No. 1)

Minister of Town and Country Planning.

Workmen's Compensation.

Crown Lands.

New Parishes Measure, 1943.

Episcopal Endowments and Stipends Measure, 1943.

House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

SECRET SESSION.
VISCOUNT CRANBORNE: My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Paper.
Moved, That the sitting of the House to consider the Motion of the Lord Hankey be in Secret Session.—(Viscount Cranborne.)
On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.
[The Notice on the Paper in the name of Lord Hankey was as follows:
To call attention to the present position of the U-boat campaign; and to move for Papers.]
The Official Reporter then withdrew.
House in Secret Session.
House resumed in Open Session.

SUBMARINE WARFARE.
LORD DAVIES: My Lords, I beg to ask the question which appears on the Paper in my name.
[The question was as follows:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether in view of the increased intensity and extension of the enemy's submarine warfare and its serious repercussions upon the successful prosecution of the war, they will suggest to the Government of the United States of America the creation of a Joint Committee composed of persons who will devote their whole time to the solution of this problem.]
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT SIMON): My Lords, the development of weapons and tactics to combat the U-boat menace is constantly under review by naval and air officers and civilian experts who devote their entire attention to the problem, and each country sends representatives to the meetings of the various technical committees on both sides of the Atlantic. Under the present system, the experts of each country are kept fully informed of the ideas initiated by their colleagues, and there is full discussion and interchange of information and advice at all levels on development and production, and co-ordination of effort and resources. The development and distribution of resources is also constantly under review. May I add that I shall give my noble friend a copy of this answer.
LORD STRABOLGI: Arising out of the Lord Chancellor's answer, when he speaks of discussion at all levels, what is the existing machinery at the highest level?
THE LORD CHANCELLOR: I would willingly give more information if I could. This is one of the cases where one is provided with an answer which I am sure has been very carefully prepared. I will, if I may, communicate my noble friend's question to those who sent me the answer.
House adjourned.