MR. J. W. LOWTHER (Cumberland, Penrith)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any communication has been received by Her Majesty's Government from the French Government relating to the Anglo-Belgian Agreement of the 12th of May; and whether he can state the purport of the reply given by Her Majesty's Government?
§ SIR E. GREYA communication has been received stating that the French Government made the fullest reserves with reference to an Agreement the provisions of which appear to them to be incompatible with arrangements made between France and the independent State of the Congo, and with the international position of certain countries in the basin of the Upper Nile. A purely formal reply was at once sent by Her Majesty's Government taking note of this communication without discussing or admitting the grounds on which the reservation was based. The French Government have since been informed that Her Majesty's Government are quite willing to discuss the grounds on which the French Government objected to the Agreement, and that they will be ready to enter with the French Government into a general review of all African questions pending between the two Governments for the purpose of such an adjustment as would place the nations of the two countries in that Continent on a more satisfactory footing.
MR. J. W. LOWTHERBy the words "general review" does the Under Secretary mean simply as between the French Government and ourselves? He does not include in that, I presume, any question of submission to arbitration, or the summoning of a conference on the matter?
§ SIR E. GREYNo, Sir. The meaning of the words is simply to express our willingness to discuss with the French Government—and between the two Governments only—pending difficulties between us in Africa.