HC Deb 17 February 1896 vol 37 cc456-7
MR. F. S. STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether the statements made by Prince Lobanoff with regard to the unwillingness of Russia to undertake responsibility for the maintenance of order in any portion of the Sultan's dominions, as reported in Sir F. Lascelles' Dispatches of the 3rd of July and of the 9th of August, 1895 (Turkey, No. 1, 1896 (Armenian Provinces) Correspondence), are to be understood to be spontaneous declarations, or replies to inquiries addressed to him by Sir F. Lascelles; and, whether any invitation, formal or informal, has been addressed to Russia to occupy and police these provinces of Asiatic Turkey, in which massacres have chiefly occurred?

MR. CURZON

The statement of Prince Lobanoff reported in the Dispatch of July 3 was evidently a spontaneous declaration. The statement in that of August 9th was in reply to an inquiry from the Secretary of State on August 5 (No. 129). Her Majesty's Government have no knowledge of any such invitation having been addressed to Russia either by the Sultan or by the other European Powers.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)

asked why, having been told on May 30 and July 3 that Russia was entirely opposed to the use of force against Turkey, the Government made the inquiry on August 5—namely, as to how far Russia was prepared to intervene by force?

MR. CURZON

said, he had not the Blue-book before him, and could not for the moment therefore follow the hon. Member in the order of events to which he had referred, but he was sure the Secretary of State had been anxious to procure every possible information in the matter.

MR. F. A. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether Russia has been informed that, in the event of her taking steps to occupy the Armenian provinces, no objection would be offered by England under the Cyprus Convention, or under any other Treaty?

MR. CURZON

The occupation of the Armenian provinces by any European Power without the consent of the Sultan would be a violation of the Treaties of Paris and Berlin. No such intimation as that mentioned by the hon. Gentleman has been addressed to Russia by the Powers who signed those Treaties.