793.94 Conference/156: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 1—8 p.m.]
684. For Acting Secretary Welles. Associated Press, United Press and International News Service inform me corrected stories have been cabled. Following are pertinent excerpts from the best record obtainable at this hour of what Eden said in House of Commons respecting Nine Power Conference.
“Mr. Noel Baker’s other complaint concerned League action not on our initiative, but I think wise action to refer this Far Eastern dispute to the signatories of the Nine Power Treaty; the Honorable Member absolutely refuses to appreciate the difference between the position which the United States occupies at Geneva and the position which she will occupy at Brussels. Surely the difference is vital. At Geneva the United States representative was only there as an observer taking no part in the proceedings, having no responsibility for the decisions. We all know quite well that any action, whatever its character, that can be taken in this Far Eastern dispute does essentially depend upon the cooperation of the United States (cheers). I say without hesitation that in order to get the full cooperation on an equal basis of the United States Government in an international conflict [conference] I would travel not only from Geneva to Brussels but from Melbourne to Alaska more particularly in the present state of [Page 141] the international situation. I am sorry that the Honorable Member made derogatory references to the man who was until lately Prime Minister of Belgium (M. Van Zeeland).
The Honorable Member: I had not the slightest intention of doing so.
Eden: I am very glad to have this cleared up. He referred to M. Van Zeeland as the cat’s paw of His Majesty’s Government. Did he mean that?
The Honorable Member: I meant that His Majesty’s Government had used him as an agent. It was obviously very difficult for M. Van Zeeland to refuse and I regret very greatly that the Government did use him.
Eden: I hope the Honorable Member will carry his explanation a little further because I must do justice to a man who is just now in a very difficult position. Then the Honorable Member implied that it was as a result of pressure from us that the Conference had been held in Brussels. It isn’t always easy to lift the veil of diplomacy but as this is a small matter in itself though perhaps rather important to one person I feel I ought to make it plain that as a matter of fact the initiative for the holding of the Conference in Brussels never came from us at all but from the United States Government itself. (Ministerial cheers)
The Honorable Member: May I ask if that request came after the decision had been made that there should be a conference outside Geneva.
Eden: Naturally nobody could suggest a meeting place for the Conference until it had been arranged that a conference should be held.
The Honorable Member: Didn’t Mr. Cordell Hull make it perfectly plain that he would rather go to Geneva than go outside?
Eden: No, the Honorable Member is quite mistaken. The point I am making is once it was agreed that the Nine Power Conference should be held it was the United States Government that suggested Brussels as a meeting place and not us. Therefore the charge that M. Van Zeeland is our cat’s paw is wholly unjustified (cheers).”