§ 2.35 p.m.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government what action they intend to take in view of the Bulgarian demand, on malevolent and fabricated charges, that Mr. Greenhill should be withdrawn from the British Legation in Sofia.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (LORD HENDERSON)My Lords, His Majesty's Minister in Sofia has already, on instructions, addressed a Note to the Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs formally denying the charges against Mr. Greenhill and requesting that the demand for his withdrawal should be reconsidered. As my right honourable friend the Minister of State stated in another place on March 16, His Majesty's Government are awaiting the Bulgarian reply to this Note before deciding what further action they will take.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, in the event of the reply being a refusal, would the noble Lord consider the suppression of the Anglo-Bulgarian Committee, presided over by Commander Young?
§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, I do not think that I can anticipate the reply of the Bulgarian Government. With regard to the noble Lord's suggestion for the dissolution of this Committee, and the other bodies which he mentioned in a previous debate, I can tell him that this has been carefully considered, but there are no known grounds for justifying their closure. If the noble Lord has any supplementary information about their activities, perhaps he would be good enough to let me have it. The normal 602 course of action, if members of a club were guilty of espionage or some other equally serious crime, would be to take action against the individuals themselves.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, while awaiting the reply of the Bulgarian Government, may I ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware that Commander Young, at the time His Majesty's Government were protesting against the sentence on Petkov, described their intervention as "a scandal"; and, further, that before Petkov was actually hanged, Commander Young said that he ought to be hanged (I give you his exact words) "in order to teach Mr. Bevin a lesson"? Are His Majesty's Government aware, also, that this man has been giving a platform to a British priest who has expressed full approval of the persecution of the Bulgarian pastors? My reason for asking these questions is this: How can any body or committee conducted under such infra-Red auspices be anything but a hindrance and harm to the remnants of our relations with Bulgaria?
§ LORD HENDERSONHis Majesty's Government are aware, of course, of the points to which the noble Lord has made reference, but I think the Government cannot be expected to take suppressive action against individuals merely because they hold and express opinions which we, as democrats, dislike and repudiate.
§ LORD VANSITTARTEven when those activities are definitely harmful, as I have shown, to international relations?
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT ADDISON)My Lords, may I intervene for a moment to point out to the noble Lord that it is not in accordance with the practice of the House to use a starred Question for debating purposes. There are other ample opportunities.
§ LORD VANSITTARTI will take those opportunities at a later date.