§ SIR JAMES ELPHINSTONEsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether, as it appears from the Papers laid before the House, that the release of the captives in Greece was opposed by a political party in Athens, and as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has pressed on the Government of Greece the urgent duty of tracing out this conspiracy, Her Majesty's Government do not consider that the presence of the Mediterranean Fleet at the Piræus would strengthen the hands of the Greek Authorities in pursuing an investigation involving many persons of high political and social position at Athens?
MR. OTWAYSir, Her Majesty's Government have required of the Government of Greece that the investigation into all the circumstances of the recent murders of their countrymen there shall be searching and complete. Her Majesty's Minister at Athens has informed us that the judicial inquiry is being conducted with all practicable speed, and, as I mentioned to the House a few days ago, Mr. Erskine will have the assistance during this inquiry of able counsel. We desire that the truth may be made manifest and justice done in this matter; but we do not consider the presence of the Mediterranean Fleet at the Piræus as necessary to this end; while it might have the effect of leading the people, of whose sympathy and right feeling on this subject we have no reason to doubt, to think that the investigation was being pursued and that justice would be administered under the 815 pressure of a foreign armed force. He might take that opportunity of telling the hon. Member for Surrey (Mr. Peek), who had asked a Question on the subject on the previous day, that there would be no difficulty in completing the series of translated Papers.