§ 120. Mr. Hollisasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has considered the communications from His Eminence, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, concerning the recent trial of Archbishop Stepinac; and what reply has been sent.
§ 121. Mr. McAdamasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has considered the resolution from the Catholic Parents' and Electors' Association, Diocese of Salford, sent to him by the hon. Member for North Salford, which expresses their indignation and horror at the trial of Archbishop Stepinac and calls upon the British Government to take action to condemn trials wherein the accused is denied the right to call witnesses in his own defence; and what answer he proposes to make.
Mr. McNeilMy right hon. Friend has received communications from the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster and 301W from the Catholic Parents' and Electors' Association in many part of this country including that sent to the Prime Minister by the hon. Member for North Salford (Mr. McAdam). On 4th October, my right hon. Friend replied to the Archbishop of Westminster that his feeling then was that it would be improper for His Majesty's Government to lodge a protest with the Yugoslav Government concerning the arrest of Archbishop Stepinac since the question was one of Yugoslav internal politics, but that he would watch the case carefully in case it might be found useful at a later stage to make our views known to the Yugoslav Government. No direct representations have been made to His Majesty's Government by the Vatican although their point of view has been fully explained to His Majesty's Minister at the Holy See. My right hon. Friend has now had an opportunity of seeing the preliminary report from His Majesty's Ambassador at Belgrade on the trial and sentence, and he has not at present formed any grounds for varying his views ex-pressed to the Archbishop of Westminster.