MR. JOHN DILLON (Mayo, E.)On behalf of the hon. Member for South Donegal (Mr. SWIFT MACNEILL), I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether a British cruiser has captured three Greek sailing ships carrying provisions from Loutro, on the south-eastern coast, to Souyer, at the south-east end of Crete; and (2) whether the rules of the blockade extend not merely to the import, of provisions but 514 to the transportation of provisions from one part of the island to the other?
§ * MR. CURZONWe have no information of the reported capture referred to in the first paragraph of the Question. In reply to the second paragraph, the rules were drawn up by the Admirals, and the method of application is left to them. I am unable, therefore, to give a precise answer to the Question, but presumably the action of the Admirals would lie guided by the consideration whether the provisions were or were not intended for the Greek troops or insurgent Cretans.
SIR JOHN LENG (Dundee)I beg to ask I he Under Secretary of Stale for Foreign Affairs if he can stale the grounds on which Germany has declined to join the other Powers in sending troops to Crete?
The HON. MEMBERalso asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any of the Powers besides Germany have refused to send reinforcements to Crete; if so, which; and why Britain continues naval and military operations without the full co-operation of the other parties to the European Concert?
MR. JOHN MORLEY (Montrose Burghs)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what Powers have sent or have undertaken to send troops to Crete, and what are the grounds assigned for their declining to send troops by the Power or Powers which have so declined?
§ * MR. CURZONAll the Powers, with the exception of Germany, have throughout been represented by military contingents in Crete, and all without exception by naval forces. We have received no official explanation of the grounds on which the German Government have refrained from sending any military contingent to Crete. Their participation, both in the views and in the action of the European Concert, has been testified by the dispatch of a ship of war, but we understand that as regards the more local question of the pacification of the island, they are satisfied that it should be taken in hand by the Powers who are more nearly interested, the distance and geographical position of Germany being an obstacle to her participation in the same degree and with the same promptitude as other Powers.
MR. J. MORLEYWill the right hon. Gentleman kindly explain what is meant by the expression "more nearly interested?"
§ * MR. CURZONThe meaning, I think, is that many others of the Great Powers interested are great naval Powers, with obvious interests in the Mediterranean. Of course, Germany does not fall under that description.
MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)Will the expenses of the entire Powers be borne relatively, or will there be an attempt at economy in the Concert of Europe—
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! Notice must be given of that Question.
MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Mussulmans who were rescued from Candano by the international forces have been armed by the Governor of Canea and allowed to take part in fighting the insurgents; and whether it is true, as stated by Colonel Vassos, that he could and would have rescued the Mussulmans a week before the international troops intervened had he been allowed to make arrangements for their removal to Greece as prisoners of war, so as to secure that they would not be further used as combatants against the insurgents?
MR. HERBERT LEWIS (Flint Boroughs)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any, and, if so what, information has been received by Her Majesty's Government from the British Consul at Canea with reference to the statement of Colonel Vassos that the besieged Turks who were allowed to leave Candanos and proceed in safety to Canea were armed and sent out to fight the Cretan insurgents, in direct contravention of the written conditions signed by the British Consul and the Commanders of the European Powers acting in the names of their Admirals in Cretan waters?
§ MR. CURZONIn reply to our inquiry, Her Majesty's Consul has telegraphed from Candia that he left Canea on the 25th ultimo, and has no knowledge of Candamos Mussulmans having been rearmed after their disarmament had been faithfully carried out as promised by the naval Captains and himself. He adds that the Acting Governor General had many times stated to him that he had no 516 arms to give to Mussulman volunteers, and had complained that, no rifles were given to him for that purpose by the European Commanders. Under these circumstances he found it difficult to understand by what means the Candamos Mussulmans could have been rearmed. I do not know what may be the hon. Member's authority for the particular statement of Colonel Vassos quoted by him, which I have not elsewhere seen, but I find that in Colonel Vassos' letter to the Admirals, as published in The Daily Telegraph of the 1st instant, he stated with respect to the Caudamos Turks, that
it is well known that it was through the energetic measures taken by me, in obedience to the orders of His Majesty the King, that the besieged were enabled to proceed safe and sound to Canea.There would seem to be a discrepancy between this statement and that which has been cited by the hon. Member.
SIR ELLIS ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any of the Great Powers have endeavoured to prevent direct negotiations between the Turkish and Greek Governments for the settlement of the Cretan question; and, if so, with what object?
§ MR. CURZONWe have no knowledge of any such action on the part of any of the Great Powers, nor have we ever heard of any direct negotiations between the Turkish and Greek Governments.