§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether Her Majesty's Government have received any confirmation of the recent news from India, that the Amir of Afghanistan has been compelled to patch up a hasty peace with the Shinwarri tribes, and to hurry westwards for the defence of Herat; that the Shah of Persia, accompanied by Ayoub Khan, is approaching Meshed, the capital of Khorassan, and midway between the Russian troops at Askabad and Herat; and that the Shah has been promised Herat by Russia in return for the ces- 1144 sion of the border fortress of Khelat-i-Naderi?
§ MR. J. K. CROSSHer Majesty's Government have received no confirmation of the report referred to in the first part of the hon. Member's Question. The Shah was expected to leave Teheran for Meshed this month, to worship at the sacred shrine there; but, according to the information we have, Ayoub Khan will not accompany him. I must remind the hon. Gentleman that Herat, as he well knows, does not belong to either Russia or Persia.