§ MR. PHILIP STANHOPE (Burnley)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is now in a position to specify the reasons for which Her Majesty's Government have not yet ratified the Convention adopted by the Hague Conference.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThere were three conventions signed at The Hague, but I presume the hon. Member refers in his question to the Pacific Settlement of 1523 International Disputes Convention. We have reason to believe that it is the wish of the Netherlands Government that it should be ratified by all the Powers on the same date, to be fixed after the necessary Acts have been received at The Hague, probably not before the beginning of July.