§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE (Bristol, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the indemnity demanded by Great Britain from China amounts to £5,000,000; and, if not, whether he can yet state the amount to be demanded; and, whether such indemnity includes the amounts due as compensation to private persons.
§ * VISCOUNT CRANBORNEThe amount of the British claim is not yet finally settled. It will include amounts due as compensation to private persons.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the indemnity asked from China by Russia is over £17,000,000, whereas the indemnity asked by Germany and England amount to only £7,000,000 and £5,000,000 respectively; and whether the Russian Government have offered to reduce their indemnity if the Russo-Chinese agreement regarding Manchuria be adopted by China.
§ * VISCOUNT CRANBORNEIt is not possible to give positive information as to the amounts of the indemnities claimed by 909 other Governments, as with the exception of the United States' claim for twenty million dollars the amounts have not been finally specified by the Powers concerned. His Majesty's Government are not yet in a position to state the exact amount of the British claim. We have no information of an offer by the Russian Government to reduce their claim if the Chinese Government accept the proposed Manchurian agreement.