§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the very large proportion of awards won by Germans at the Chicago Exhibition; whether it is the fact that the German Government has appointed, or is about to appoint, a commercial Attaché in the United States; how many commercial Attachés now represent the interests of the trade of the United Kingdom in Foreign Countries, and what are the countries in which commercial duties are assigned to each of them respectively; and whether it is the intention of the Government to appoint a commercial Attaché to watch over the interests of our trade in the United States?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GREY, Northumberland, Berwick)The attention of the Foreign Office had not previously been called to the proportion of awards won by different nations at Chicago, nor do we know whether the German Government have appointed a commercial Attaché to the United States or intend to do so. There are at present two British commercial Attaches, one for Europe except Russia, and the other for Russia, Persia, and Asiatic Turkey. The Royal Commission for Civil Service Establishments, in their Fourth Report, approved of these two posts, but did not recommend any others, and the Government have no intention at present of asking Parliament to sanction the expenditure necessary to provide for the appointment of any new commercial Attachés.