§ SIR CHARLES DILKEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the report of a speech by Mr. Rhodes, in which he is alleged to have said that, by 965 an arrangement made by Lord Rosebery with the Congo State, Germany is not interested in the matter of communication between Tanganyika and Uganda, and whether he would state exactly what are the facts to the House; whether the arrangement alluded to was repudiated by the Congo State Government on the instigation of Germany; whether any representations on the subject were afterwards made either to Germany or the Congo State; and whether there is any such arrangement now in force; whether a separate or special arrangement was concluded with Germany with regard to the telegraph; and is this arrangement to be found in a Blue Book as alleged: and, if so, could he give a reference to the document?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYIt is not quite clear from the report of the speech in question whether reference was made to territorial or to telegraphic connection. Article 3 of the Anglo-Congolese Agreement of 1894, which provided for the former, was subsequently cancelled by the late Government, and the facts, both as regards the original Agreement and the later modifications, are contained in the Parliamentary Papers, Africa, Nos. 4 and 5, of 1894. No separate or special arrangement was concluded with Germany with regard to the telegraph, which is provided for by Article 5 of the Agreement of 1894 with the Congo State.