§ MR. TOMLINSONasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether his attention has been called to a telegram published in this day's Daily News, from the Teheran Correspondent of that newspaper; whether the information in possession of the Government gives them any reason to doubt the accuracy of the information contained in that telegram; whether Russia is now in occupation of both North and South Sarakhs, and within what distance of Herat does the occupation of these places bring the armed Forces of that Empire; and, whether this occupation is consistent with the explanation offered by the Russian Government?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEI have seen the communication in The Daily News referred to. The information contained in it is hardly accurate. The Tedjent River flows northward, and consequently the West is the left, and not the right bank, as stated. Moreover, the two places called Sarakhs are on different sides of that river, and not both on the West bank. I stated, on the 9th of June, that the Sarakhs on the Western bank of the river has not been occupied by Russia, though a report reached us that the Russian Commander-in-Chief contemplated taking possession of land on the right bank at Old Sarakhs, and making them over to the Turkomans. The distance from Old Sarakhs to Herat is 166 miles. I am not quite aware what explanation the hon. Member refers to in the concluding 113 paragraph of his Question; but the Afghan frontier question is the subject of negotiations between Her Majesty's Government and that of Russia.
§ MR. TOMLINSONI wish to ask the noble Lord whether the duties of the Aghan Limitation Commission will extend to the boundaries between the Persian and the Russian Empire?
§ LORD EDMOND FITZMAURICEThat raises a totally different matter, and I think the hon. Member had better put the Question on the Paper.