§ MR. EDWARD MORTON (Devonport)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to a letter which appeared in The Times newspaper on Tuesday last, purporting to be written by direction of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and addressed to the Secretary of the Committee of the Cretan Distress Fund, in which it is alleged that Mr. Biliotti, Her Majesty's Consul in Crete, had made arrangements, by order of Her Majesty's Government, and with the consent of the Turkish Vali, himself to distribute relief to those who have suffered during recent events in the island, but that objection had been taken by the Powers; and that, in consequence, Lord Salisbury had ordered Mr. Biliotti to postpone his visit to the affected districts; and, whether Her Majesty's Government can hold out any hope that the difficulties raised by the Powers will be overcome, and the distribution of relief proceeded with without delay?
MR. CURZONThe letter to which the hon. Member refers was addressed to the Secretary of the Committee of the Cretan Distress Fund by direction of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Her Majesty's Government have not as yet heard that the representatives at Constantinople of the other great Powers have withdrawn their objections to relief being distributed to the Cretans by Her Majesty's Consul. The Committee of the Distress Fund have intimated that they hope to be able to dispatch an agent of their own to Canea for the purpose.
§ MR. MORTONasked whether Her Majesty's Government were taking steps to induce the Powers to withdraw their objections?
MR CURZONNo, Sir. The objections of the Powers were clearly stated. They think that the position of Her Majesty's Consul would be liable to misinterpretation if he visited those districts, and I am not aware that any steps on our part would remove that impression.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)asked whether the Government would in future either concert with or take the instructions of the Powers before issuing such directions to their Consuls?
§ [No reply was given to the Question.]
§ * MR. SPEAKERIt does not arise out of the Question on the Paper.