§ SIR MARK STEWART (Kirkcudbrightshire)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can give to the House any information as to the British steamer "Kowshing," sunk by the Japanese in their war with China; whether the Chinese offered to refer the case to arbitration; whether arbitration was accepted, and, if so, whether anything came of it before the commencement of the present hostilities; and whether he can give the House any assurance that the case will not be lost sight of, but that it will be included in the Bill of Indemnity to be paid at the end of the present war by the Chinese Government to this country.
§ *VISCOUNT CRANBORNEThe Chinese Government accepted the offer of Her Majesty's Government to refer the case to arbitration, and the terms of reference to the arbitrator were under discussion when the disturbances broke out in China. In the actual circumstances further delay is inevitable, but the case will certainly not be lost sight of. As it is to be decided by arbitration it is clear that there can be no question of payment until the arbitrator has given a decision.