§ LORD LAMINGTON had the following Question on the Paper—
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether their attention has been called to a statement made by Lord Morris at Brighton on 2nd July to the effect that before the war Great Briitain had 1,000 consuls, of whom 900 were Germans, and to the statement by Lord Beresford in the House of Lards on 8th July that before the war 900 Germans were British consuls, and that 57 of these consuls are now Germans; and whether His Majesty's Government can give the House any official figures to support or to disprove these statements.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, the question which I have to ask is simply with reference to certain statements which have been made. I am not sure whether the figures have been given in another place, but I think it is desirable, owing to the agitated state of the public mind about this question of the employment of Germans, that the Government should make some statement which will put before the public the exact state of affairs.
§ LORD STANMOREMy Lords, the attention of His Majesty's Government has been called to the statement made by Lord Morris at Brighton on July 2 in regard to the number of Germans in the British Consular Service, and to the statement made by Lord Beresford in this House on July 8 on the same subject. The following are the correct figures:—In 1913 there were 1,120 British Consular Officers. Of these, 311 were in the salaried Service and were therefore British subjects. Of the remaining 809 unsalaried officers, 454 were British subjects and 355 of foreign nationality. Of the 355 of foreign nationality, thirty-seven were Germans and thirteen were Austro-Hungarians. On the outbreak of war the appointment of those Consular officers who were of enemy nationality ceased automatically, and there are at present no Consular officers of enemy nationality in the Service.
§ LORD LAMINGTONI thank the noble Lord for his statement.