§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether he has seen a telegram from Khelat in the "Daily News" of Saturday, stating that General Skobe-leff announces his intention to march through the border Persian territory, "that" the Merv Chiefs have held a council and resolved to resist the Russians to the last extremity, "and that" a deputation of thirty Merv Elders has gone to Candahar to seek aid; "whether Her Majesty's Government has received any 1375 information to the above effect; if he could state upon what grounds Her Majesty's Government have come to the conclusion that it is not the intention of Russia to advance upon Merv; and, whether Her Majesty's Representative in Persia, Her Majesty's Ambassador at St. Petersburg, or the Government of India, have forwarded any information bearing on this Question?
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKEHer Majesty's Government have received no confirmation of the report to which my hon. Friend refers. I must repeat my former statement, that there have been no negotiations with the Russian Government upon the subject of the advance of the Russian troops in the Turcoman Steppe. Information on this subject has, of course, been received from Her Majesty's Representatives at St. Petersburg and Teheran; and the opinion which I expressed, that it is not the intention of Russia to advance to Merv, was founded on information received from Her Majesty's Ambassador at St. Petersburg.