Evening star., 1950-03-17
Churchill Says Secrets
Known 10 Russia Are
Kept From Parliament.
BY the Associated Press


LONDON. Mar. 17.-Winston
Churchill asserted last night that
Britam's Labor government has
withheld from Parliament defense
secrets which are certainly and
obviously" known to Soviet Russia.
Making it plain he referred to
the atom and hydrogen bombs,
the Conservative leader demanded
q secret session of the House of
Commons for a debate on the
subject with no holds barred.
In reply Prime Minister Attlee
said:
Il don't think secret session
would be particularly valuable,
except We might avoid these cleo
tioneering speeches"
Quotes White Paper.
He accused Mr.. Churchill of
starting his remarks last night
with a number of cheap and
nasty party points"
Mr.. Churchill told the House
In asking for the secret session:
I'VE might then 60 into the
atom bomb question and see if
further information could be given
than that the chiefs of staff are
giving full weight to this new fac
tor"
The quotation was from a white
paper by Defense Minister Eman-
uel Shinwell outlining in general
Britain's f780 million ($2,184 ,000,-
0o0) military budget for the year
beginning April l., Mr.. Shinwell
presented the paper in a speech
earlier in the day.
Opening for the Conservatives
in the debate which followed, Mr..
Churchill asserted the Labor Gov
ernment has failed to understand
the value of Germany as a defense
ally Of the future.
Hits Reich Dismantling.
He said Europe cannot be de-
Tended against a Soviet attack
without the active aid of West
ern Germany.
'The mighty mass of Russian
armies and their satellites lies
like a fearful cloud upon the Ger
man people," Mr.. Churchill said,
land the allies cannot give them
any direct protection"
For this reason, he said, the
dismantling of potential war
plants in the Western zone was
a mistake.
Mr.. Churchill brought both Mr..
Shinwell and Prime Minister Att
lee to their feet several times
during the debate.
He accused Mr.. Attlee of using
the War and Defense Ministries as
"a receptacle for ministerial fall
ures"-a remark he first made
when Mr.. Shinwell was promoted
from fuel to war minister in 1948.
Warns of Foolish Illusions"
In the new cabinet Mr.. Shin
well was shifted to defense, and
Food Minister John Strachey be-
came war minister. Some sec
tions of the London press have
charged Mr.. Strachey with Com
munist leanings. Mr.. Attlee and
Mr.. Strachey have publicity de-
MED it.
Mr.. Churchill warned the Brit
ish people:
do not nurse foolish illusions
that you have any other effective
overall shield at the present time
from mortal danger than the
atomic bomb in the possession,
thank God, of the United States.
"But for that there would be
no hope that Europe could pre-
serve its freedom, or that our
island could escape an ordeal in
comparably more severe than
those we have already endured"
Mr.. Shinwel said the armed
forces will consist of about 75O,-
600 persons, including 420, 900 reg
ulars.
Mr.. Attlee called Mr.. Churchill's
remarks about Western Germany
both irresponsible and judicious."
At the end of debate the white
paper was accepted by Commons
without a call for a vote of con-
fidence in the Labor Government.