§ MR. JAMES ROCHE (Kerry, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether, having regard to the growing importance of Pretoria as a centre of diplomatic negotiation in South Africa, he will advise Her Majesty's Government to at once appoint there as their agent some diplomatist of experience and of English birth and training?
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)asked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that many of the best of our diplomatists had been born in Ireland, and whether he considered it necessary that our representative at Pretoria should be of English birth?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.In answer to the hon. Member for East Kerry, I have to say that I fully recognise the importance of the subject to which the hon. Gentleman calls my attention, but I should prefer to defer any statement with regard to it until the Debate tomorrow. With regard to the Supplementary question of the hon. Member for Kilkenny, I have much pleasure in saying that I am well aware that some of our most successful diplomatists were born in Ireland. ["Hear, hear!" and laughter.] I, however, have no idea of making any kind of exclusive rule which will prevent other gentlemen of the same extraction from serving the country in that capacity. ["Hear, hear!"]