§ MR. J. C. FLYNN (Cork, N.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Porte has communicated with the Great Powers proposing to dispatch a Turkish army to Crete with a view of maintaining order in that island; and, if so, what action the Powers intend to take in respect to this proposal.
*MR. CURZONA proposal from the Turkish Government in the sense indicated has been addressed to the Great Powers. It is understood that the replies returned by theca have been adverse to such a proceeding, and it dues not appear that the Turkish Government Lave as yet taken any actual steps to carry it out.
§ MR. MACNEILLI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state the number of killed and wounded and the damage resulting from the 100 shots which he stated, on the authority of the British Admiral, were fired by the insurgents in Crete on a column of Austrian and Italian troops which was marching front Candia to a neighbouring town.
*MR. CURZONThe whole of the British Admiral's report, on this matter has been communicated to the House. He does not state whether any casualties resulted from the shots fired by the insurgents.
§ MR. MACNEILLMay we conclude then that not one of them was touched? [No answer was given.]
§ MR. MACNEILLI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether a serious conflict has 166 occurred between British troops and Bashi-Bazouks in Candia, resulting in the deaths of 16 British soldiers; whether the conflict originated from the intervention of the British troops in a skirmish between Bashi-Bazouks and Christians; and, what steps of a punitive character the Government intend to take for the insult by Bashi-Bazouks to the British flag and the murder of British soldiers.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)I beg to ask the Ender Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the House any information as to the alleged conflict between British troops and Bashi-Bazouks in Candia?
*MR. CURZONNo confirmation of this report has been received by Her Majesty's Government, awl it seems clear that it is Unfounded.
§ MR. R. WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at what date the leave of the Sultan to occupy Crete and exercise a protectorate there was granted to the Great Powers, and whether he will communicate to this House the correspondence by which this leave was given.
*MR. CURZONThe Sultan's assent to the provisional occupation by the foreign naval forces of such places in Crete as the naval commanders might think desirable was notified to Her Majesty's Ambassador on the 15th of February last, and was reported by him in a telegram which appears on page 71 of the last Cretan Blue-book, Turkey No. 10, 1897.
§ MR. R. WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.)asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would communicate to the House the correspondence on the subject?
*MR. CURZONsaid there was no correspondence to be communicated. The assent of the Sultan was contained in the telegram which had already, appeared in print in the Blue-book.
§ MR. R. WALLACE (Edinburgh, E)asked whether the leave of the Sultan, as d the protectorate implied, was limited to certain places, or whether it was a general protectorate?
*MR. CURZONthought the hon. Member had better refer to the Bluebook where he would see the actual terms of the communication and could judge for himself.
§ MR. R. WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is apparently a discrepancy between Lord Salisbury's Dispatch and his answer? The words of the Dispatch are:—
The Great Powers have agreed that Crete, being placed under their immediate protection, shall be considered as neutral territory; being in occupation of the island by leave of the Sultan, their decision cannot be overruled by the Turkish governors on the places which they occupy.I read that language as having a general application.
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! The hon. Member is not asking a Question.
§ MR. R. WALLACE (Edinburgh, E.)My Question is whether in the light of Lord Salisbury's language the right lion. Gentleman still adheres to his answer?
*MR. CURZONYes, Sir; so far as I can see there is no inconsistency between the two positions; so far as the Powers are concerned, they are in occupation of the island. Clearly their troops however can only be located in particular places.
§ MR. FLYNNI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether the Foreign Office have any information as to the truth of the statement as to an alleged serious conflict between British troops and Bashi - Bazouks at Candia; and (2) whether they have received any information respecting the raid made by Bashi - Bazouks upon the village of Episcopi, in which they endeavoured to drive away the flocks of sheep belonging to the Christian villagers.
*MR. CURZONI have already answered the first paragraph. With reference to the second paragraph, Colonel Chermside has reported that a party of Moslems, many of whom were unarmed, proceeded on July 7 to the deserted village of Episcopi, which was temporarily held by the Christians, and commenced to load a convoy of animals with straw. They were driven off by the Christians, who are said to have been sixteen in number, and they lost four killed and six wounded.
§ MR. DILLONI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any statement has yet been received from Colonel Chermside in reference to the telegram from Cretan 168 refugees to Lord Salisbury, which was sent to him last week?
*MR. CURZONColonel Chermside has reported as follows: Portions of the statements made by the refugees at Athens are incorrect. Measures for security in proportion to the means available have been maintained during the whole period of the Christians' aggressive action. Open plundering has been promptly suppressed, and only two cases of robbery have been recently reported, in which all the thieves were arrested and one of them killed. Although nocturnal raids are secretly organised the majority of them are frustrated, and only two of importance have occurred. The Christians who successfully penned in and repeatedly attacked Moslems for months have dispersed for agricultural and other reasons and now clamour for European protection. Although the Christians have recently decapitated seven armed and unarmed Moslems, and thrice recently fired on European officers far inside the old cordon, which was abrogated at their written request, their collective attitude is now far less aggressive.
§ MR. DILLON, in putting the following question, "To ask the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed to continue the services of European troops in Crete, and, if so, with what object?" said that "services" should be "marches." [Laughter].
§ MR. DILLONMy reference was to the system of marching which provoked the conflicts in Crete the other day.
*MR. CURZONI will answer the Question on the Paper. There has as yet been no question of withdrawing the European troops from Crete, where their presence, though it cannot altogether obviate occasional incidents of disorder, has undoubtedly prevented the far worse excesses and conflicts that must otherwise have occurred.
§ MR. DILLONI will put down the other Question for Monday.