Attlee Criticises U.S. Policy In Asia

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27403, 16 July 1954, Page 11

Attlee Criticises U.S. Policy In Asia

LONDON, July 14. Mr Attlee today accused the United States Secretary of State (Mr Dulles) of “playing right into the hands of the Communists” by staying away from the Geneva conference. He was opening a House of Commons debate on foreign affairs based mainly on the recent Washington talks between Sir Winston Churchill and President Eisenhower. Mr Attlee said he regretted that Mr Dulles had left the Geneva conference and that his deputy (Mr Walter BedellSmith) “seems to have withdrawn.” He added: “That plays right into the hands of the Communists, who all allege that it is the object of Mr Dulles to smash the Geneva conference.” Mr Attlee said the statement on the Washington talks made by Sir Winston Churchill on Monday was “rather uninformative and almost inevitably platitudinous.” . , He added: "We believe it is essential that the two great Western democracies should march together. We should have unity of principle and unitv of action. “The United States of America, by force of circumstances, has assumed the leadership of the free world, and we recognise the difficulties that has imposed on them. But I do not think it is really useful to accept general statements and disregard differences of approach. If there are differences they should be stated. “It is right that we should know what people are thinking in the United States, and that they should know what people are thinking in this country.” . , He wanted to express some anxieties felt in this country about certain tendencies or opinions in the United States which seemed to be strongly held in responsible quarters, he said. “You find them in the Senate, and I do not think they are entirely absent from the Administration.” Peaceful Coexistence There seemed to be a fairly influen- j tial body in the United States which regarded the United Nations as primar-' ily an instrument in the war of ideology. “We are as anti-Communist as the United States, and will continue to oppose successfully what we believe to be their misguided doctrines. We recognise their dangers and their errors, but we believe in peaceful coexistence.” Regretting that Mr Dulles had stayed away from Geneva, Mr Attlee said: “We must recognise that if we can get a standstill or an armistice in IndoChina. there remains the very difficult question of Korea. I believe that a settlement of this question is entirely bound up with the problem of a seat for China on the Security Council, and with the problem of Formosa. “The Labour Opposition holds that it is wrong, unwise, and contrary to the principles of the United Nations to exclude China from the United Nations. “Militarily Foolish” r “There are some hotheads —I hope not many—who still think of war against Communist China and of putting back on his throne Chiang Kaishek. I think that is militarily foolish and politically it ignores all the lessons of history. The history of all revolutions shows that they are consolidated and made more extreme by external attack. If you rule out the idea of all-out war against communism, you come back to peaceful coexistence; and that is what we want in respect of Russia and China.” “I can perfectly understand the Americans’ fear of militant communism and possible Chinese aggression throughout Asia, but I think it is worth while looking at this from the other point of view. There is the Chinese point of view. “Here you have a revolutionary government which is undoubtedly supported by the mass of the people. If we want to counteract the snread ot communism in undeveloped lands we have got to consider the position of the peasantry in those lands.” , Mr Attlee told the packed House: .T suggest that the thing that stands J n the way of a settlement is precisely this—Formosa and a seat in the United Nations. “I know how stronglv the Americans feel on that. There is no doubt an obligation to Chiang Kai-shek. But he is getting an old man now ana he commands an ageing force. I think it is * ime the leaders were pensioned off, a 1 d T believe most of the rank and file would be glad to return to China. Turning to the situation in Guatemala. Mr Attlee said: “The fact is that

this was a plain matter of aggression. You cannot take one line on aggression in Asia and another line in Central America.”

There were Socialist cheers at this. Mr Attlee said: “I am afraid Guatemala has left rather an unpleasant taste in one’s mouth, because it does seem in some instances that the acceptance of the principles of the United Nations is subordinated to hatred of communism.” , Mr Attlee said he did not know how far the suggested South-east Asian defence pact nad gone in conversations, but he was sure it was vitally important that Britain should get the approval and support of “our Asian comrades in the Commonwealth.” Referring to Europe, Mr Attlee said: “We recognise both the strength and generosity of the United States, but there are some matters which cause disquiet. “We object very strongly wherever States are threatened by force. I think we object also to where they are threatened with financial loss. There is a suggestion that if certain States do not sign up on the European Defence Community treaty then American aid should be cut off.” . Mr Attlee said: “That is not a good thing to say. It suggests to me that oldfashioned heavy father. It does not make for good relations between father and son or even between someone and Uncle Sam. It is quite clear that that kind of thing does provoke very great people on this side of the Atlantic.” Churchill Replies Replying to Mr Attlee, Sir Winston Churchill said that to try to force the entry of Communist China into the United Nations now would be to “complicate altogether the very grave affairs we have to deal with.” He added: “It would be regarded as i most harsh act of unfriendliness by .he mighty people of the United St But Sir Winston Churchill said: “In principle, one cannot conceive that China will be for ever excluded from the United Nations.” Loud Labour cries of protest arose when Sir Winston Churchill described the Labour leader’s speech as “one long whine of criticism against the United States, of course advancmg the importance, if not the virtues, of Communist China.” . Mr Attlee rose immediately to point out that he had not suggested that Communist China could be admitted to the United Nations at this very Tam* glad to hear that,” the Prime Minister retorted, “because it would in any case be difficult to deal ,with the matter at this very moment. “Will Leave Bad Impression” Sir Winston Churchill said he knew Mr Attlee desired friendship with the United States. “But I can assure him the speech which he has made will undoubtedly leave a bad impression in America, and make more difficult a settlement of the many awkward questions with which we have to deal in common with the United States. He said September (the date of the next United Nations session) was the first date at which the entry of China into the United Nations could be raisea. “And we feel it might be better for all concerned and for all interests represented that it should be postponed until a later period,” he said. f The Prime Minister said: When a country has recently lost 20,000'killed and had 80,000 or something like that wounded and has poured out vast sums of money, it is natural they should feel certain emotional manifestations about what happens in that country for which those sacrifices were made and made with the full agreement and active support of Mr Attlee. “Surely it is not the moment when the situation is what it is in IndoChina and when all these memories of Korea are still lively in the United States and when no cessation of the technical war with the United Nations has been achieved, for us to raise such a matter in a strenuous fashion m the United States on a visit which was intended to clear up misunderstandings and. not to aggravate g by charo expressions, any of ine neces lary and natural differences which Sst between. great free communities W Mr‘ n At°lle tn had also mentioned

Chiang Kai-shek and Formosa, Sir Winston Churchill said. “There is nothing in the conduct of China which should lead the American Government to deliver Formosa to Communist China,” the Prime Minister said. “Nor do I see any reason why at some subsequent date Formosa should not be placed in the custody of the United Nations.”

The Prime Minister said he hoped that nothing that had been or would be said in the debate should, by arousing American feeling, make the prospect of success in the Indo-China talks more difficult. Replying to a suggestion -by Mr Attlee of a meeting between himself and Mr Malenkov, Sir Winston Churchill said he had nothing to add to what he had previously said on this subject. He asked the House not to press him on a matter “which, I can assure you, has a lively place in my mind. “I cannot refer to the topic without warning anyone who is sympathetic to the idea of the great risks that would be run: not merely that hopes would be broken, but that the situation itself might be rendered more severe if a top-level meeting took place without any satisfactory effects/*