HL Deb 27 July 1953 vol 183 cc893-9

3.22 p.m.

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)

My Lords, I hope the House will allow me to intervene for a short time to make a statement about Korea. I am glad to be able to confirm to your Lordships that the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in the presence of representatives of the United Kingdom, the British Commonwealth, and other United Nations countries whose forces are fighting in Korea, at 2 a.m. British Summer Time this morning at Panmunjom, with a provision for a cease fire twelve hours later. After over three years of war, including two years of negotiation, the fighting should by now already have ceased along the front, and the two armies will withdraw from their forward lines to permit the formation of a demilitarised zone in accordance with the terms of the Agreement. I know that this news will be received with heartfelt thanks in all quarters of the House.

It is not out of place to recall the extent of the United Nations achievement. For the first time since the formation of the United Nations, member States have taken up arms in collective resistance to aggression; and the joint action has been successful. Anyone who doubts that assertion should remember the military situation in August, 1950, when the total evacuation of Korea by the United Nations' forces seemed to be almost inevitable. Since that time the forces of aggression have been driven back beyond the line from which they started. These results would not have been possible but for the courageous decision of President Truman and the late United States Administration in June, 1950; and it is also right to remember that immediate support was pledged by the late Govern- ment of this country, sustained by all Parties, by members of the Commonwealth and by other member Governments of the United Nations.

The fighting has, unfortunately, been accompanied by heavy casualties. The United States have borne with great fortitude the main burden among the members of the United Nations, and we pay our heartfelt tribute to their fighting men and to their military leaders. The contribution of this country and of the Commonwealth, although less extensive, has also been one in which we can take pride. All three fighting Services have distinguished themselves. There have been renowned exploits, like the heroic fight of the Gloucester Regiment at the Imjim River, to which the world has paid warm tribute. There has also been a notable example in the Commonwealth Division of co-operation between the countries of the Commonwealth. To-morrow is the second anniversary of the formation of that division. To-day we think of those who have given their lives, and renew our sympathy with their relatives. We remember the sick and the wounded and also the prisoners of war, most of whom have been so long in captivity; and we rejoice with them and their families that they can now look forward to an early release. The people of Korea have suffered the most of all. Their land has been devastated. But the soldiers of the Republic of Korea have fought bravely, side by side with our own, and the civilian population has not flinched in adversity.

There is one other body of people to whom I should like to pay tribute on the signing of the Armistice. I refer to General Harrison and his team of negotiators. Often criticised, with his difficulties frequently not understood, General Harrison has patiently and resolutely persevered in his task of reaching an agreement. My right honourable friend the Minister of State, as your Lordships know, had conversations with him last year when he was in Korea with the Minister of Defence; and he was greatly impressed by his earnestness and his broad common sense. I think General Mark Clark and he deserve our thanks and our congratulations upon this result.

And now for the future. We know that there have been misgivings in South Korea about the future. We believe that this Armistice was essential for the well being of the whole Korean people. The fighting, whilst it continued, was an absolute bar to any improvement in the general situation in the Far East. We are not yet, of course, through our difficulties; but now that the fighting has ceased we can once more look forward with hope, and we shall enter on the next stages of the meeting of the General Assembly and of the forthcoming political conference with the determination that a solution shall be found to the Korean problem which will lead to the peaceful unification of Korea. We cannot tell how long we shall have to keep our forces in Korea. To-day our main feeling, I am sure, in all quarters of the House, is one of determination that this Armistice shall form a turning point for the better in the Far East. In any case, we shall do our duty by the world causes of which we are the servants.

3.28 p.m.

EARL JOWITT

My Lords, I should like on behalf of the Opposition to express our concurrence with the views which the noble Marquess has expressed to-day and our profound thankfulness that this Armistice has at long last been signed, especially when we think of the number of casualties—I believe there have been over 400,000 casualties in all on our side, and that involved about 70,000 people killed. At a time like this, however, we should not think only of one side; we should think of the far greater casualties, as I believe them to be, on the other side; and we should feel thankful that that slaughter of precious human lives has apparently, for the moment at any rate, come to an end.

I should like to endorse what the noble Marquess has said about the thanks which are due to the various people who have worked so hard, sometimes in the face of misunderstanding, to bring about that result. We should be foolish, on the other hand—as the statement which the noble Marquess has just made makes plain—to think that our difficulties are all over. Like the noble Marquess, I earnestly hope that it will not be long before our troops are back, but it would lie very wrong to treat the matter as though all the difficulties were over and our troops could be expected back in a week or so. Unfortunately, it is not so. Although we hope that this will be a turning point, we realise that there are still great difficulties ahead, but I do not want to embark upon a discussion of them to-day, because we are having a Foreign Affairs debate on Wednesday, and that would be a more appropriate time to do so. We can, however inadequately, express our thankfulness. We have reached what the noble Marquess described as the turning point. I earnestly hope that we shall be able to carry on from this point so that, in future, peace may be restored to that tortured country.

3.30 p.m.

VISCOUNT SAMUEL

My Lords, noble Lords on these Benches would desire to join with the Leader of the Opposition in expressing our thanks to the noble Marquess for the statement we have just heard and to join also in declaring how we share in the universal feeling of profound relief that this prolonged war, prolonged so far beyond all expectations, has at last come to an end. We realise to the full that this is only the ending of one, though perhaps the most hard and difficult, phase in the Korean struggle, and that there remains the political aspect. The ending of the war only opens up access to those difficulties which lie ahead and which we trust may reach a satisfactory conclusion.

I observe that a leading article in The Times to-day bears the headline "Fought to a draw." I do not think that that is a true description of this war and its ending. I concur rather with the statement made by the Government, that this is the first time in the history of the United Nations when member States have collectively taken up arms to resist aggression and have been successful. The mistake really has been that at a previous stage in the war we were not content with that, but pushed on beyond the original frontier up to the frontier of China. If that had not been done, perhaps this war would not have lasted so long and the casualties would not have been so great. I think we should take the opportunity to-day of paying tribute to the Government of India, a member of the Commonwealth, which not only took a leading part in arranging diplomatically for the cessation of hostilities, in the face of very great difficulties, but also has taken the lead, together with four intermediary nations, in solving the difficult question of the care of the prisoners. I need say no more but renew our expression of cordial satisfaction at the result that has been announced.

3.33 p.m.

LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, I should like to raise a matter of detail, for I think it is a very important one. Reference has been made to the sufferings and the casualties, and my noble and learned friend the Leader of the Opposition has referred to the very heavy casualties suffered by the other side. But we must not overlook the fact that the civilian populations on both sides have suffered atrociously, especially in North Korea, owing to the intensity of the bombing. The unfortunate peasants there have been through terrible ordeals. In the South of Korea the civilian population has been fairly well looked after, thanks to the efforts of the United Nations and its various organs; but I am informed that in North Korea there is a great shortage of medical stores, curative drugs and the like which were prevented from going there—an action which is perfectly proper when fighting is in progress. Now that there is an Armistice and there are likely to be long-drawn-outnegotiations—I do not want an immediate answer to this question, but I think it is a matter to which we should have an answer on Wednesday—could we not see our way to allow the sending of drugs, medicines and medical relief for the civilians, particularly in the North of Korea, without any further delay? Could arrangements be made for those to be allowed through? This is a matter which will touch the common humanity of everyone, and I cannot see how there can be any real objection to it.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

My Lords, I fully realise the importance of the point raised. I will look into it and give the noble Lord an answer on Wednesday.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

I have one question which I think the noble Marquess can probably answer at once, and another question for him to consider. The immediate question is this: to what extent does the statement about being determined to secure a reunited Korea go? Is it a hope, or is it a pledge?—because I recollect that the Prime Minister said: I very much doubt whether there could be any agreement at the present time on a united Korea. I ask this because it would be dangerous if we entered into a new pledge at this stage. The second question I ask the noble Marquess to consider, for answer in the debate on Wednesday, is this: if the South Koreans break the Armistice, or if the President of South Korea carries out any of the threats he has been uttering with regard to the Armistice, to what extent are we involved? Does it mean going back to U.N.O., is it covered by previous decisions, or is it something we can consider de novo; because, if President Syngman Rhee were to upset the whole arrangement, necessarily it might mean involvement in various serious operations. If the noble Marquess could consider that question by Wednesday—I will not ask him to deal with it now, of course—I should be grateful.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

I certainly will look into the second question, which is a delicate and technical one and one which I could not answer without consideration. With regard to the former question, the noble Viscount will notice the words which I used were: will enter…the forthcoming political conference with the determination that a solution shall be found to the Korean problem which will lead to the peaceful unification of Korea. The noble Viscount asks whether I make that a pledge. Clearly, nobody can pledge that a solution will be found; but it is a pledge of a definite intention. I do not think I can go further than that. After all, it depends not only on us but on the peoples of Korea and many other States whether a real solution can be arrived at. But it is a definite pledge that it is towards that that we shall work.

LORD FARINGDON

May I ask the noble Marquess a question, again for answer presumably on Wednesday. Would he consider whether there is any possibility of freeing trade with China during the period, which may be a long period, that negotiations will be proceeding in Korea?

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

There was reference to that in the communiqué, and no doubt it is a matter which would properly come out in the debate. The position is that arrangements will remain as they are for the moment, but the matter can be reconsidered in the light of the behaviour of the Chinese Government in the period following the Armistice. So there will be a possibility of reconsideration. That is to say, the door is not shut; the door is open. But I think it would be perhaps rather unreasonable at this early stage to expect a pledge here and now that this or that shall be done, or exactly when. We shall have to watch and see how the situation develops. I do not doubt that something may be possible, but I clearly could not say at this stage definitely what.

VISCOUNT STANSGATE

What does the noble Marquess mean by saying "in the light of the behaviour of the Chinese Government"? Are there other charges against the Chinese Government except their participation in the Korean War?

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

What I really meant was that obviously our judgment of the situation in the Far East must depend on how it appears that the situation develops—what the frame of mind, the atmosphere, and so on, in that part of the world are. And if it turns out that things are improving, as I most sincerely hope they will, then that will tie a reason for reconsideration.