Mr Brown gets it right
Mr Brown's statement of the Government's policy towards South Arabia in the Commons on Monday can, be read is two ways-. It can be taken to mean, as the jubilant Conserva- tives and despondent Labour members im- mediately took it, that the Government has gone back on its determination to hand over responsibility as soon as possible and, is new harbouring new thoughts of continuing to play an active military role in the Middle East.
Or, it can be taken to mean no more than that the Government has decided to make its. withdrawal a little more gracefteli- in fact, by promising limited military sup- port for a limited period in not very closely defined circumstances. Mr Brown's text is not entirely clear. The signs are, however, that the second reading, is the right one, and that Mr Brown is stiff folluw- ing the proper course. Mr Heath was mis- taken when he said that the new arrangement amounted to 'a treaty in all but name.' There is nothing in Mr Brown's statement that can be taken as binding for Britain; she has re- tained complete freedom of action to do as she likes.
The idea of • unilateral British military in- tervention on anything more than a police action scale in support of the new state had anyway by now become ate unlikely one, and the present Middle East crisis has perhaps finally rendered it inconceivable. Few would believe that Britain could enter into a war there without immediately provoking, a far bigger crisis than the one she set out to re- solve. Besides, as Mr Brown pointed out on Monday, 'it has become clear that the British association is more of a handicap for South Arabia than a protection: If this is. true now, iG with also he true ill the country's indepen- dent existence appears to depend on the Royal Air. Force and a solitary carrier.
Tb is also. clear that if Egypt were to attempt to grab South Arabia, she is hardly likely, to db- it the day after independence. It would be necessary to wait for the British. withdrawal to be complete, and the situation in the country itself to have clarified. (South Arabia may, of course, choose to go Egypt's way simply through the ballot box, which would make the erab unnecessary.) Meanwhile, during that time much could happen, not least in Eqpt itself, and independence may well lead, as the British government hopes, to the vari- ous factions in South Arabia finding their own modus vireo di.
Once the Government had (rightly) made the decision to go; there was little to be said for hanging around indefinitely. Mr Brown could not perhaps have put it so bluntly,. but he might have made his speech a little clearer to prevent Members from jumping to hasty and mistaken conclusions.
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