MR. BRYNMOR JONES (Swansea District)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that two British subjects, William Evans (the chairman) and David R. Evans (the secretary), of the Council of the Welsh settlers in the Chupat Valley in Patagonia, were in January last arrested by officers of the Argentine Government on a charge of high treason; whether he can inform the House what were the grounds for the said charge, and have they been tried; and, if so, before what court, and with what result; and, if not, are they still in custody; and whether he proposes to take any steps to protect British subjects in the Chupat Valley from such conduct of officers purporting to act under the authority of the Argentine Government.
§ MR. BRODRICKThe only information in our possession relative to the arrest of Messrs. W. and D. R. Evans was that communicated to the Foreign Office by the hon. Member. Her Majesty's Government are not aware whether the persons in question are British subjects or not; but if they were born in the colony they would be Argentine citizens according to Argentine law (at least while within the Republic). Her Majesty's Minister at Buenos Ayres has been instructed to report fully on the existing conditions of the settlement, and to endeavour to ensure to British settlers the most-favoured-nation treatment to which they are entitled by treaty. That report has, however, not yet been received.