§ MR. BUCHANANasked the Secretary of State for India, Whether Her Majesty's Government or the Government of India have entered into negotiations, or contemplate entering into negotiations, with the Ameer of Afghanistan, in order to form a military cantonment at or near Candahar; and, whether they intend to take steps towards a military occupation of that place with or without His Highness' consent?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Lord RANDOLPH CHURCHILL)The hon. Member asks me three Questions — first, whether Her Majesty's Government or 663 the Government of India have entered into negotiations with the Ameer of Afghanistan in order to form a military cantonment at or near Candahar? My answer to that Question is in the negative. I The second Question is, whether Her Majesty's Government or the Government of India contemplate entering into negotiations with the Ameer for that purpose? My answer to that Question is that I am not aware that any negotiations of that kind are contemplated; but, at the same time, I must be allowed to remind the hon. Member and the House that the terms of the hon. Member's Question are extremely wide. The House should bear in mind that this country is under certain pledges towards the Ameer of Afghanistan to the effect that under certain conditions, which are pretty clearly defined, military assistance would be rendered to him. If those conditions should by any chance come into active operation, and if the military assistance thereby rendered necessary should take the form of an application from the Ameer for aid towards the defence of Candahar, either in men, money, or material, then I imagine that—no matter what Government was in power —the course of the British Government would be very clear and well marked. The hon. Member also asks me whether Her Majesty's Government intend to take steps towards a military occupation of that place with or without the Ameer's consent? The hon. Member will, perhaps, excuse me if I suggest to him that this is a most extraordinary inquiry; because to take steps towards a military occupation of Candahar without the Ameer's consent would be an act of war against the Ameer, and the hon. Member must be aware that at the present moment the Ameer of Afghanistan is our friend and our ally.
§ MR. BUCHANANsaid, he was not quite sure that he understood the limitations in the answer, and he would ask if he was right in assuming that the limitation put upon the two first Questions was in the event only of threatened hostility of any Foreign Power?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATEI do not think, Sir, I can well add to what I have already said. I think the hon. Member will find that my answer covers almost every imaginable eventuality.