§ MR. COLLINSasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether Her Majesty's Government, in view of the magnitude of British interests affected by the question, will propose to the Governments of Russia and of Turkey to specify what articles or merchandise on board ships of neutral nations they will empower Prize Courts in their respective States to adjudge as contraband of war?
§ MR. BOURKESir, as there is another Question upon the Paper on the same subject by the hon. Member for Sunderland (Mr. Gourley), if the House will permit me, I will answer both at the same time. I need hardly remind the House that the question as to what is and what is not contraband of war has at all times given rise to much discussion. I need hardly also remind the House that there are certain things which are always called contraband of war, such as arms, military stores, gun-powder, and things of that kind. There are also other things which have been held to be contraband of war, according to their destination, and according to other circumstances, decided by the Prize Courts. It has never been usual for any Government, and certainly not for this Government, nor do I think it would be possible, to define what, under all circumstances, should be considered contraband of war; and I do not think that it would be in the interest of English merchants to call on belligerents to define what they consider to be contraband of war, because the effect of that might be that certain goods which have not hitherto been held to be contraband of war by a Prize Court might be declared by a belligerent Government to be contraband of war. Under these circumstances it is not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to call on the belligerent Powers to define what they consider to be the articles which ought to be included under the term contraband of war. At the same time Her Majesty's Government will watch very narrowly the proceedings of the 261 Prize Courts with the view of seeing whether any articles are declared to be contraband of war which have not hitherto been included in that category. I may mention that I have been asked privately by several hon. Members within the last few days whether certain articles are contraband of war. I do not mean to name the articles in detail, because I do not think it would be judicious. I may, however, mention one thing which is down in these Questions—namely, coal. That is one of the articles held by some Prize Courts to be contraband of war according to the destination, and also according to other circumstances which are to be adjudicated upon by the Prize Court. With regard to other articles mentioned by some hon. Members, I can only give the same answer, and I may add that until they have been declared by a Prize Court to be contraband of war it is impossible to give any definite answer on the subject. The Question of the hon. Member for Sunderland also proceeded to inquire whether we have received any official notification of the nature of the blockade and regulations intended to be established by the Turkish Government in the Black Sea, Bosphorus, and Dardanelles, and whether the Russian Government has forwarded official notice and regulations relative to the mining of harbours other than that of Odessa? We have not received any more information about the blockade of the Black Sea than that which I communicated to the House the other night. The regulations which we were told at that time were going to be issued by the Turkish Government have not reached Her Majesty's Government, and when they do reach us we shall not lose a moment in publishing them. In regard to mining operations carried on in certain ports belonging to Russia, I have not heard that any ports in the Black Sea have been mined except that of Odessa. Another question asked is as to the alleged destruction of a British vessel by striking a torpedo on entering Kertch. No information of that destruction has reached Her Majesty's Government, but we have sent a telegram to our Consul to inquire what has taken place. When the reply has been received, I shall be very happy to communicate it to the House. I think this answer will cover the whole of the subjects contained in the Ques- 262 tions put by the two hon. Gentlemen opposite.
§ MR. GOURLEYThe answer of the hon. Gentleman is scarcely explicit. I should like to read the second paragraph of my Question—
Whether any international arrangement exists defining contraband goods; if not, if he will take such steps as Her Majesty's Government may deem necessary to procure an international schedule of contraband merchandise.By way of explanation, I may tell the hon. Gentleman that the reason why I ask this is that at the present moment a large number of vessels are bound with cargoes to Russian ports in the Black Sea, and that those vessels, with their cargoes, are bound to proceed until official notice is given of the blockade of those ports. Many of those vessels have coal on board, and during the American War coal was declared to be contraband of war by our own Government. What I want the Government to do is this—to inform the shipowners and merchants of this country whether they consider coal to be a contraband of war or otherwise, and also to endeavour to bring about an arrangement with other Governments as to what is to be looked upon as contraband of war during the existence of hostilities between Russia and Turkey.
§ MR. BOURKEI am sorry that my answer was not as explicit as the hon. Member would wish, but I think I have answered the Question so far as I possibly can. If the hon. Gentleman wishes for further information on the subject, which is one of vast importance, not merely to the Government, but to all the merchants of this country, and if he will be kind enough to give me Notice, I shall be very happy to answer his Question.
§ MR. GOURLEYMy Notice is already on the Paper. What I want to learn is this ["Order!"]
§ MR. SPEAKERIf the hon. Member proposes to put a new Question, he is bound to give Notice of it.
§ MR. GOURLEYIt is the same Question. With your permission, I will read the second paragraph of it again—
Whether any international arrangement exists defining contraband goods; if not, if he will take such steps as Her Majesty's Government may deem necessary to procure an international schedule of contraband merchandise.
§ MR. BOURKEI thought I answered that Question. No international arrangement does exist, and I think I said that in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government it would not be expedient for a neutral Government to ask a belligerent Government what they consider contraband of war.