§ 52. Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy in regard to the new commitment of United States ground forces to the fighting in Vietnam.
§ Mr. M. StewartI explained the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the question of Vietnam in my statement to the House on 3rd June. The United States Government have stated that there has been no change in the mission of United States ground combat units in recent days or weeks; and that the United States commander in Vietnam has authority to employ them, if requested by the Vietnamese Commander, in support of South Vietnamese forces faced with aggressive attack by the Viet Cong. This is a question of degree, not of a "new commitment".
§ 53. Mr. Warbeyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will raise in the Security Council the decision of the United States Government to engage in war in Vietnam as a threat to peace, an act of aggression and a violation of Article 2, paragraphs 3, 4, of the Charter, and propose appropriate action by the Council under Articles 39 to 41 and through the 1954 Geneva Conference on Indo-China as a regional arrangement under Article 52.
§ Mr. M. StewartNo. My hon. Friend appears to have overlooked the fact that the Government of the Republic of Vietnam have the inherent right of self-defence which is preserved by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. President14W Johnson has repeatedly made clear that the United States Government, who are acting at the request of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam, will only take such military action as is necessary to defend South Vietnam against aggression and no more than is necessary.
§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which members of the Geneva Conference and the International Control Commission returned a negative answer to Her Majesty's Government's request for their views on a peaceful settlement in Vietnam.
§ Mr. George ThomsonSo far, negative responses have been received from the Chinese Government who, in a formal Note which also covered our request that Mr. Gordon Walker should be received, merely denounced British support of United States policies and demanded the withdrawal of United States forces from South Vietnam; from the French Government, who indicated orally that they could not act on a request from only one Co-Chairman of the Geneva Conference; and from the North Vietnamese authorities who returned the Communication delivered to them, together with certain others, with an intimation that they would ignore an approach made without the approval of the Soviet Co-Chairman.