§ MR. JOHN ELLIS (Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information His Majesty's Government have as to the correctness or otherwise of the reports that Turkish soldiery have been committing excesses at the town of Uscub, in Macedonia, and the neighbourhood thereof; and what is the nearest place to this district at which a British Consul is stationed.
§ *VISCOUNT CRANBORNEAccording to information received from His Majesty's Vice-Consul at Uscub, an encounter is reported to have taken place in January last at Ishtib, which is situated about forty-five miles to the south-east of Uscub, between Turkish troops and certain Bulgarians, who had barricaded themselves in a house to evade a search for arms, which was being conducted by the Turkish authorities. One gendarme and two Bulgarians are said to have lost their lives. Fifteen Bulgarians were subsequently arrested at the same place, and have been since sent to Uscub. We have no evidence which justifies us in describing these proceedings as excesses committed by the Turkish soldiery. A British Vice-Consul is permanently stationed at Uscub.