§ 2.8 p.m.
*THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT SIMON)My Lords, I ask your Lordships to permit me to make a brief personal explanation. In concluding our debate on the Buchenwald camp disclosure yesterday, I expressed my disagreement with some of the observations made by the noble Earl, Lord Darnley, who had said that there was "nothing new" in what had happened at Buchenwald and that the horrors of war in the past had constantly and normally included comparable events. I thought, and think, that this was a most unfortunate and unjustified line of argument and seemed to implying that the conduct of the Nazis in this matter was nothing exceptional, judged by the standards observed in waging war in past history. But in expressing my dissent and insisting that this was not a true comparison, I was led to introduce a reference to standards observed by the British Army. While exonerating the noble Earl entirely from holding any such view, I said that the attitude that these things were nothing new, nothing specially German, but were historically merely the outcome of a state of war and the use of force, came dangerously near to suggesting that even the British soldier might have been capable of comparable cruelty. I regret that I made this observation, for, while I made it plain that I was not for a moment implying that the noble Earl would make such a suggestion, he protested that my observation was unfair to him. On reflection, I think his protest was natural. I see the noble Earl in his place. I have received no communication on the matter from him or from anybody, but here in the House I wish to express to him and to your Lordships my regret and to withdraw a comment which he obviously resented.
§ * See column 91.
102THE EARL OF DARNLEYMy Lords, I would like to thank with very great sincerity the noble and learned Viscount for what he has said and to tell him that I accept it with both hands. I hope he will now regard the matter as finally closed. I would like to say just one other word to him and it is this. It is a difficult task to follow a solitary line in your Lordships' House with all that that involves. The fact that I do so is largely due to the noble and learned Viscount himself, because I have observed that during his career he has probably always followed this course. He has taken the best evidence and decided thereon and has followed that decision with humble duty permanently without possibility of change. That, my Lords, is what I am trying to do; so therefore I have to thank him not once but twice.