§ 2.43 p.m.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I beg to ask the other Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows
§ To point out that five members of the British Mission in Czechoslovakia have been charged with espionage in the fabrications extorted from Mr. Oatis, and to ask whether His Majesty's Government will now check the multiplication of these travesties by reducing our representation in Czechoslovakia, and by similarly reducing Czechoslovak representation in this country.]
§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, I join with the noble Lord in deploring the baseless and offensive allegations made against members of His Majesty's Embassy in Prague. I think we are all now familiar with the methods used to extort these so-called confessions, and know what value to put upon them. The allegations are, as the noble Lord has stated, travesties, but I do not think they would be suitably countered by the action he suggests.
§ LORD VANSITTARTMy Lords, I do not want to press the noble Lord further on that point to-day, but may I make an alternative suggestion, because I feel that, if no action at all is taken, these undesirable and very culpable practices will continue unabated? The question I should like to ask is this: the position of all journalists behind the Iron Curtain having been rendered quite untenable—there is none left—will the Government not consider, if there is any repetition of these unjustifiable charges, dealing with the Iron Curtain country journalists in this country on e basis of parity? Having last seen the noble Lord at Wimbledon, I think perhaps he will agree that there is no fairer start than "love all."