§ MR. C. J. MONK (Gloucester)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government is prepared, in concert with the other Great Powers, to enforce the observance of the engagements unreservedly entered into by the Porte in respect to a general amnesty in Crete by more efficient means than by collective remonstrances, which proved wholly ineffectual to prevent the murder of so many thousands of the Sultan's Armenian subjects?
MR. CURZONHer Majesty's Government cannot make any announcement as to what course the Great Powers, with whom they are acting in concert, will pursue.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether, in view of the objection taken by the Powers of Europe to carrying out the instructions given by Her Majesty's Government to Her Majesty's Consul in Crete relative to distributing relief, and of the consequent postponement of the Consul's action, Her Majesty's Government will, in future, consult and concert and come to an agreement with the Powers before giving similar instructions to British Consuls under similar circumstances?
MR. CURZONThe hon. Member is mistaken in assuming that definite instructions had been sent to Her Majesty's Consul in Crete to distribute relief. The matter was in course of arrangement when the journey was suspended in consequence of objections raised by representatives of the Powers at Constantinople. Her Majesty's Government do not need to be reminded of the expediency of acting in concert with the other Powers in regard to Cretan affairs—since they have hitherto done, and are still doing so—but they must exercise their own discretion as to the method of procedure best adopted to secure that object.
§ MR. J. C. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Ambassadors of the Powers have made a representation to the Porte pointing out the present impossible situation at Crete, the difficulty of the presence of a Military Governor holding superior rank to the 137 Vali, and recommending this difficulty should be remedied; is the Military Commander therein referred to Abdulla Pasha; and is the Foreign Office aware that Abdulla Pasha has repeatedly repudiated the authority of the Governor General?
MR. CURZONThe Representatives of the Powers at Constantinople have informed the Porte that in their opinion the command of the troops in Crete should be given to an officer of lower rank than Abdulla Pasha, and that the officer selected should receive strict orders to remain entirely on the defensive in accordance with the engagements which the Porte has undertaken. Her Majesty's Government have no information that the authority of the Governor General has been repeatedly repudiated by Abdulla Pasha, though there seems reason to believe that the Governor General has not been consulted with regard to the naval and military operations recently undertaken against the inhabitants.
§ MR. FLYNNHave the Foreign Office any information that Abdulla Pasha has been replaced in his military command on the island?
MR. CURZONI saw a statement to that effect in a newspaper this morning, but we have not any confirmation of it at present.