—the Foreign Secretary makes this statement in order that it can be used as an alibi for the absence of an observer in Greece.

I wish to ask this House, and particularly the Members on these benches, to think seriously about the conduct of a Foreign Secretary who makes no effort whatever either to have an observer present from our Embassy in Greece, or even to intervene with the Greek Government to allow a visa to be given to an independent lawyer to go as an observer, and can then come along and say "We cannot intervene. It is a matter concerning their internal affairs."

With regard to the conduct of the trial, I have nothing to add to what my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock said. I wish, however, to make one remark in passing. Every Member in this House knows my politics and views. All of us have come to regard with a great degree of respect the attitude taken in reportage by "The Times" newspaper. I was disgusted this morning to read in "The Times," in its report of this trial, a reference to the two leaders of the Greek Seamen's Union, both of whom lived in this country for some years, who served their country and this country in time of war, and who hold respectively the position of chairman and secretary of their union, as the ringleaders of the Union. No one has ever heard Mr. Deakin referred to—not even the Tories would dare to—as ringleader of the Transport and General Workers' Union. Not even Mr. Arthur Horner has been called the ringleader of the National Union of Mineworkers. These Greek leaders have been ordered to be done to death, but "The Times," kicking them when they are down, now calls them the ringleaders of the union.

I am not making any appeal to the benches opposite—that would be rather a waste of time—but I appeal to Members on the benches on this side of the House. Can we tolerate this line up of a Labour Foreign Minister and "The Times" report in a case of the kind as has been outlined today? I submit that we in this country, and our Government, have a great and moral responsibility in that we have supported and maintained the present Government in Greece. We sent our troops there in December, 1944. We have a responsibility in that we have spent, in the past three years, £150 million in maintaining our Forces there and in assisting Greece in various ways. We retain a military mission and a police mission in that country.

We have a responsibility within the terms of the United Nations Charter to see that justice is done in other countries. We on these benches have the responsibility of taking into consideration the views of the working class, as expressed by the Trades Union Congress at Margate this year, where a resolution was moved to the effect that the restoration of democratic rights in Greece was urged. Here a blow is being struck against democracy and the democratic rights of the individual. Yes, we have a responsibility but so far the Foreign Secretary and the Under-Secretary have refused to act.

I hope that as a result of what has been said the Foreign Office, even at this late hour, can be made to intervene. I hope the public will be made aware of what is going on, for on Monday, if these lives are taken, the responsibility will rest on our shoulders as much as on anyone else. Not only have we tolerated this policy all these years, but we are condoning this action now. I hope that what has been said will have its effect, and that the lives of these men will be saved.