HC Deb 25 April 1923 vol 163 cc426-8
4. Viscount CURZON

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the speech of Admiral Chester, at a dinner of the Federated American Chambers of Commerce in New York, wherein he is reported to have stated that spheres of influence have thrown every kind of obstacle in his way since he had been endeavouring to secure concessions in Turkey, and that the British Ambassador had assured him that Great Britain did not object, but that the Ambassador had been overruled; and whether there is any foundation for the suggestion that His Majesty's Government have taken any action by means of spheres of influence or in any other way to handicap the commercial enterprise of the United States Government or citizens in Asia as alleged by Admiral Chester?

Mr. McNEILL

I have seen a report in the Press of the speech referred to, but am unaware of any foundation for the statements to which attention is called in the question. There is no record of the British Ambassador having given any such assurance as that described, and there is consequently no question of his having been overruled. His Majesty's Government have not taken any action to handicap American commercial enterprise in Asia.

8. Colonel WEDGWOOD

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will take steps to obtain a copy of the Chester concession; whether he has as yet received any complaints that the Chester concessions conflict with concessions previously granted to British subjects; and whether the question of these concessions will be excluded from the peace discussions at Lausanne so far as Great Britain is concerned?

Mr. McNEILL

The terms of the concession, as approved by the Turkish Government, have not yet, so far as is known, been made public, but steps are being taken to ascertain whether a copy is procurable. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative. In regard to the third part, His Majesty's Government have no intention of initiating a discussion on the subject at Lausanne.

Colonel WEDGWOOD

Have His Majesty's Government any intention of preventing this question from coming up?

Mr. McNEILL

I do not know that we have any power to prevent it coming up. All I can say is that we certainly do not court discussion on it.

Mr. MOREL

Have accounts not been published in the Parisian newspapers?

Mr. McNEILL

There have been accounts of the concessions, but I am not aware that they have been published textually.

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