§ 15. Mr. GODFREY LOCKER-LAMPSONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any discussions have taken place during the last 12 months, either in the Assembly or at the Council of the League of Nations, in regard to the interpretation to be placed upon Article 16 of the Covenant?
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake to make 1753 no bilateral agreement with any other Power in respect to this matter without first of all submitting it to this House?
§ Sir K. WOODWill the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that before any such arrangement which affects the position of this country is made he will obtain the assent of this House?
Mr. HENDERSONThat will depend on circumstances. I have to keep in mind that when the last arrangement was made, known as the Locarno Treaty, the assent of this House was not obtained.
§ Sir K. WOODDoes the right hon. Gentleman remember how he complained, and is he now going to say that this country should enter into what must be an obligation without Parliament being consulted?
§ Captain EDENWill the right hon. Gentleman take note of the grave seriousness of suggesting any bilateral agreement in a matter in which other countries are interested?
§ 18. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in any proposals made to the French Government with regard to the interpretation of Article 16 of the Covenant, consideration is being given to the object of effecting an agreed reduction in the French tonnage demands at the present Naval Conference?
§ 46. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Prime Minister, in view of the public anxiety as to the Mediterranean negotiations and as to certain interpretations of our war obligations under the League of Nations Covenant, whether he can now make a full statement on the subject?
§ 48 and 49. Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONasked the Prime Minister (1) whether, before he comes to any decision in regard to the interpretation to be placed on Article 16 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, he will lay the matter before the Council of the League;
1754 (2) whether he is consulting the other signatories of the Covenant of the League of Nations in regard to the question of the interpretation of Article 16?
§ 30. Captain CROOKSHANKasked the Prime Minister whether he has consulted the German Government with regard to the question of the interpretation of Article 16 of the Covenant; and, if so, whether or not the question of interpretation in any way affects the terms of the Locarno Treaties?
§ 51. Mr. HURDasked the Prime Minister whether he is keeping the Governments of the Dominions who are signatories to the Covenant of the League of Nations fully informed as to the discussions now proceeding regarding the interpretation of that Covenant; and whether he will undertake to secure their assent to any altered interpretation?
§ 52 and 53. Captain EDENasked the Prime Minister (1) whether he can state what interpretations of Article 16 of the Covenant are at present under consideration; and by whom;
(2) whether any amendment or interpretation of the treaties of Locarno or of the annexes thereto is at present under consideration by any of the delegations at the Five Power Naval Conference?
§ 54 and 55. Major ROSSasked the Prime Minister (I) whether the interpretation of Article 16 of the Covenant has yet been decided, and in what direction has it been decided;
(2) whether, in view of his declaration on 23rd December, 1929, that the question of naval policy as apart from naval strength will not be considered at the Naval Conference, he will say what is the attitude of the British delegation to the discussions which are taking place on the interpretation of Article 16 of the Covenant of the League of Nations?
Mr. HENDERSONI have nothing at present to add to the replies returned in this House by the Prime Minister on the 1st of April, and by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 2nd of April. The Prime Minister hopes, however, to be able to make a full statement at an early date; and, meanwhile, he trusts that the House will continue for a little longer to exercise the patience which it has hitherto shown throughout these long 1755 and delicate discussions. He is, of course, in close touch with the delegates of the Dominions and India to the Naval Conference.
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake that before arriving at any bilateral agreement in regard to Article 16 of the Covenant the matter shall be laid before the Council of the League?
Mr. HENDERSONThere is no intention of arranging for anything that will be in contradiction of the arrangements that have already been entered into.
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House.
§ Captain EDENDoes the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that there can be—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. and gallant Member had better defer that till later.
§ 19. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the Kellogg Pact being of more recent date and embracing almost all nations, whether the Government will propose that it should supersede those parts of the League of Nations Covenant that envisage or contemplate war to which neither the United States of America nor Russia is a party?
Mr. HENDERSONAs the hon. and gallant Member is no doubt aware, in virtue of a resolution passed by the last Assembly of the League of Nations, a committee recently met at Geneva to consider the question of amending certain Articles of the Covenant of the League of Nations in order to bring it into harmony with the Kellogg Pact. The amendments proposed by this committee are embodied in their report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. The report will come up for discussion at the Assembly in September next.
§ Commander BELLAIRSWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the Kellogg Pact does not envisage or contemplate war, whereas, certainly, the Articles of the Covenant of the League of Nations do?