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Foreign Affairs [MR. BOOTHBY.] flight, do not seem to have changed very much either. Meanwhile, about half a million unhappy Arab refugees have this Government to thank for their plight.
Mr. Crossman : And the hon. Member's party.
Mr. Boothby: When one backs a loser one has to pay; and it is better to pay with some dignity. Our stake in the Middle East is vital. We cannot afford to lose all our influence as well as our prestige there; nor can we afford to quarrel deeply with the Americans over this issue. There are only two people who matter now, the Jews-the State of Israel and King Abdullah, to whom wẹ, are pledged, and have the greatest obliga tions upon which we cannot go back~ U.N.O. does not now matter in the least. I agree with my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for the Isle of Ely (Major Legge-Bourke) that it has done nothing, can do nothing, and will do nothing-
Mr. S. Silverman rose-
Mr. Boothby: No, I cannot give way, I have not the time. All I ask the hon. Gentleman who is to reply is to say what is the objection to giving de facto recogni- tion to the Israeli Government, and to bringing about direct negotiations, as best can, between them and King Abdullah? That is the only policy; and the only hope.
we
3.34 p.m.
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Mayhew): I will try later in my speech to reply to the points put on Palestine by the hon. Member for East Aberdeen (Mr. Boothby). My right hon. Friend yesterday covered very fully many of the most important subjects con- cerning Western Europe, the proposals for a North Atlantic Pact, the progress made under the Brussels Treaty, the work of the Paris Committee of the O.E.E.C. and the economic recovery of Europe and of Germany. With the exception of the very much disputed subject of the British delegation to the Paris Committee, I think there has been very general agree- ment on these broader schemes and I will not follow speeches made this afternoon, much as I would like to, such as the help- ful and well-informed speech of my hon. Friend the Member for North-West Hull (Mr. R. Mackay). I must deal rather
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with the other aspects raised is the Debate and try to give a reply to them..
The right hon. Gentleman this morn ing raised several questions outside Europe, one of them Hong Kong, in which he asked for a statement of the policy of His Majesty's Government. I think there is no need to make any formal or long statement. I will merely
state that it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to maintain their position in Hong Kong. We entirely appreciate the importance of Hong Kong as described by the right hon. Gentleman. Indeed, we feel that in this particularly troubled situation the value and importance of Hong Kong as centre of stability will be greater than ever.
a
The right hon. Gentleman also made a reference to Spain. Indeed, I think it is the first time that His Majesty's Opposition have openly stated that they wish for Franco Spain to be inside the project for Western Union, that is to say unless this was another example of the latitude is given but they are the formal now enjoys in speaking for the Opposi- tion on matters of foreign policy. We now hear that his view on Palestine is not the view of His Majesty's Opposition. On Spain we understand it is.
Mr. Churchill: I certainly never said that the opinions which I expressed, and which my right hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Eden) expressed, were not the views of the Conservative Party. They are the views of the Conservative Party. Reasonable latitude is given but they are the formal views put forward and agreed to by our party.
Mr. Mayhew: This Debate has shown that they are not the views of all Con- servative Members.
Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore (Ayr Burghs): Look round behind you.
Mr. Mayhew: Nevertheless, on the sub- ject of Palestine, and on the subject of European unity, I think His Majesty's Government have put up a very ragged show during this Debate.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear.
Mr. Churchill: Why should the hon. Gentleman abuse his own Government?
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read by the citizens of that country is not the kind of political system which is fit for Western Union.
Mayhew: I meant His Majesty's Opposition, of course.
On the subject of Spain, however, I understand that the Opposition are united and that it is now considered that Franco Spain-
Sir T. Moore: Spain.
Mr. Mayhew: -should enter into the comity of Western Europe. Indeed, the right hon. Gentleman actually defended the rôle of Franco Spain during the war. He elaborated a new and extremely strange thesis that provided a country attacks one's Allies, and is not actually facing one's own troops, its part in the war is something which can easily be neglected after the war-a fantastic theory. The Blue Division fought against Russia, and the Blue Division was there- fore an effective ally of the Nazis and the Fascists. We say that the record of Franco Spain during the war is a serious reason why we cannot consider the wel- coming of Franco Spain into the comity of Western Europe.
Mr. Churchill: How then can the hon. Gentleman welcome Italy? [Interrup. tion.] On the contrary, large numbers of Italian troops fought against Russia.
Mr. Mayhew: If the Spanish people were given a free opportunity of choosing their Government, as the Italian people have had-[HON. MEMBERS: What about the Russians? "-I am speaking about Spain. Spain has been outlawed by the United Nations and we are, therefore, not in a position to agree with the right hon. Gentleman on that matter. We know how important a democratic Spain could be to the project of Western Union. We know of what value E.R.P. could be to the people of Spain in the economic recovery of their country. All these things are possible and desirable, but those who want to join the club must obey the rules of the club---[Interruption.] referring to Western Union. There must be a moral and political basis for Western Union and in that moral and political basis Franco Spain cannot have a part.
am.
The right hon. Gentleman referred to his book. It is not for me on behalf of His Majesty's Government to discuss the merits or otherwise of his book, but I can say that a political system which declines to allow even his book to be
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Mr. Eden (Warwick and Leamington): What about U.N.O., not Western Union?
Mr. Mayhew: As for the United Nations, it would be a first class psycho- logical and political blunder for us to support the entry of Franco Spain into the United Nations at this time.
Sir T. Moore: Why?
Mr. Mayhew: The right hon. Gentle- man referred to Greece and certain of my hon. Friends also have referred to Greece. The right hon. Gentleman made no particularly helpful reference, but on the subject of Greece I would like to say a word or two because the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Cocks) and the hon. Member for Maldon (Mr. Driberg) also referred to it. There is no encouraging news at all to report from Greece. There is a lack of political courage and a lack of firm leadership, and in spite of exceptional military operations this year the prospects of peace are still far away. There still remain the tragedies referred to by the hon. Member for Windsor (Mr. Mott-Radclyffe). There are hundreds of thousands of refugees; there is poverty,
unsettlement and fear. There is loss of life and there are hundreds of feuds. It is only natural that we should consider all possible courses for bringing the conflict to an end.
I want to refer to the campaign, sup- ported by over 60 hon. Members and launched by the Union of Democratic Control, which suggested that the United Nations should send a Mediation Com- mission to Greece to try to bring the two sides together. It was referred to by the hon. Member for Maldon. In the view of His Majesty's Government this scheme is wholly impracticable. It is in direct conflict with the charter of the United Nations and with the recommendations of this year's Assembly of the United Nations. We consider it would be more likely to perpetuate this class of conflict. The Charter expressly precludes inter- vention in matters which are essentially within the jurisdiction of any State.
I must make clear the distinction to be drawn between mediation between the Greek Government and the rebels, on the one hand, and, on the other, between
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