§ MR. COLERIDGE KENNARDasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, If he is aware that the Court of Commissioners of the Alabama Claims at Washington are now occupied in registering the claims of a new set of petitioners for participation in the funds resulting from the Geneva Award; and, if so, whether Her Majesty's Government are prepared to represent to the Government of the United States that such a new departure is a deviation from the original intention of the Geneva Commissioners?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICENo. Sir; it is not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to interfere further in this matter in any way whatever?
§ MR. MONTAGU SCOTTIn consequence of the answer of the noble Lord, may I ask if his attention has been called to the following paragraph, which appeared in The Standard of Saturday:—
The New York Times thinks it would be difficult to suggest any topic of international discussion more likely to be barren of happy 1639 result than that which Mr. Coleridge Kennard proposes to raise. It intimates that the conscience of the United States is not entirely clear, and adds:—If we honestly replied to the question, What have you done with the money awarded you by the Geneva Congress? we should be obliged to say that, having satisfied the undisputed claims of the actual sufferers, we have, by Act of Congress, declared that it is nobody's business what we have done with the rest; and we have accordingly given it to a class of claimants who were expressly and specifically ruled out of Court by the Geneva Congress.
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI noticed the paragraph in question; but I do not think the Foreign Office is in any manner called upon to express any opinion on this subject.