§ MR. PULESTON (Devonport)asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that an honourable Member of this House, now travelling in Russia, was deprived of his passport, and ordered to leave Moscow in twenty-four hours; and, if so, whether any representation can be made to the Russian authorities?
§ MR. MONTAGU (Tower Hamlets, Whitechapel)said, that finding he was 264 the Member to whom the Question referred, the House would perhaps allow him to make a short personal explanation. At the time he was in Moscow an order was issued by the Russian police that he must quit the city within 24 hours. No question had been asked him as to his religious belief; but he found that the Warsaw police had determined his religious persuasion for him, having stated in a paper attached to his passport that he was a Jew, and could only visit places not forbidden to Jews. That statement as to his faith he had unwittingly carried about with him, as he did not understand a word of Russian, and upon that the Russian police authorities at Moscow acted, although it was stated in his passport that he was a Member of the British House of Commons. A friend of his, to whom he mentioned the matter, assured him that the order would not be enforced; but he, however, left the city as soon as practicable.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir JAMES FERGUSSON) (Manchester, N.E.)No information has reached the Foreign Office on the subject, nor has any hon. Member complained of any ill-treatment in Russia. Without this Her Majesty's Government could hardly make any representation.