§ MR. FRANCIS STEVENSON (Suffolk, Eye)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether, in view of the state of affairs disclosed in Consul Fitzmaurice's recent Reports, Her Majesty's Government will propose to the French and Italian Governments the desirability of increasing, in conjunction with Her Majesty's Government, the number of European Consulates in Asia Minor, especially in those provinces where massacres have principally occurred, and where the forced conversions of Armenian Christians to Islam has caused widespread dismay amongst all classes of the non-Mohammedan, population?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. GEORGE CURZON,) Lancashire, SouthportThe steps which are suggested by the hon. Member have already 831 been taken. Upon the recommendation of Her Majesty's Ambassador at Constantinople, new Vice Consulates have been established in the course of the last year at Van, Sivas, Adana, Kharput, and Mush, and a salaried officer has been appointed in place of an unpaid Vice Consul at Diarbekir. There is no intention of making any further appointments.