Evening star., 1952-02-28
Mr., ehurehNFs Dey

Prime Minister ehHrehlll's adFeit handling
OF the eensuFe debate In the House of Commons
can hardly be received In this country without
certain misgiVings y
Mr. Churchill, Of course, was under partisan
political attack-just as the President and secre-
tary Aeheson have been under attack In this
country on the suspicion that some secret agree
ments were entered into during the Prime Min
isters recent visit to Washington.
When Mr., Churchill addressed Congress last
month he said that II truce were to be
reached In Korea, and then violated by the
enemy British reaction would be prompt reso-
Lutte and effective" Whatever these words may
actually have meant they had reassuring ring,
and they were understood, both here and in
London, as indicating that we could count on
Britain in the stated circumstances to join with
us in hitting the Chinese and hitting them hard
This remark served to flush from cover the
erstwhile Laborite Foreign Secretary, Herbert
Morrison. Mr. Churchill, he declared had made
"mischievous, irresponsible and foolish state
ment" which could only serve to cause trouble
while truce negotiations were In progress. That
was enough for Mr.. Churchill, and he let Mr.
Morrison have 1t with both barrels.
Such assurances as he had given, he said
were not more extensive, and II anything were
less extensive, than similar assurances given the
United States by Labor officials when they were
In power last year. &c. he asked In effect, what
Is all the shouting about now7
There was not much more shouting from
Mr. Morrison. He said something to the effect
that the Churchill tactics were unusual and
doubtful in TASTE" and that 1t was o rather
shabby business ito delve into the papers OF
predecessor in Office" But Mr.. Morrison, for
practical purposes was through for the day.
His lance had been splintered, and Mr.. Churchill
went on to win vote Of confidence by COM
Portable margin Of SO votes.
The basis on which this victory was won in
Parliament, however, should give rise to some
second-thinking in this country. The prompt,
resolute and effective" statement, to be sure,
still stands. But there is considerable doubt as
to precisely what 1t means. In the course of the
debate Mr.. Churchill said he was Just as opposed
as he had ever been to any action that would
involve Britain or her allies in war with China,
and that he had never departed from this stand
in any way, either publicly or privately. There
Is no TRUTH" he said, "in the suggestion that
any private arrangements were made or any
change Of policy agreed to, formal or informal,
actual or implied, by me or the Foreign Sec
retary"
This seems to say quite categorically that
MIR. Churchill is not willing to go any further
In Korea than the Labor government was willing
to go. If truce should be made, and broken,
some action could be expected If the tiegotia-
tions should break down and iarge-scale. fighting
shouid be resumed the Churchill government,
as had the Labor government, might agree TO
some lhspeelhed action Of "lifnited" character.
Even In these circumstances, however, the
dominant theme Of the debate was that Britain
W6uld not accept war with China And In
third eVehtuallty=if the negotiations should
dFag on ehdlessly without truce and without
resumption OF laFgeaseale hghting=theFe eVIa
IDENTITY has been no commitment OF any klnd
Al has been demonstrated before, paFtleuu
larry when partisan politics have 70 be eena
sldeFed, words often turn out not 10 mean what
they seem 10 say But " weuld be the better
part OF wisdom, AT this stage Of the matter, for
Va TO assume that we shall have to 90 II alone
II II becomes necessary 10 break out Of the
Korean stalemate and carry the war TO China,