§ MR. HARWOOD (Bolton)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the suggested agreement between Russia and China will affect the interests of British traders in those parts of China which are proposed to be thus brought under Russian influence.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Viscount CRANBORNE, Rochester)The versions of the proposed agreement which have come under our notice contain provisions which would apparently affect British trade interests in China in those parts of the Empire to which the agreement applies.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT (Sheffield, Ecclesall)I beg to ask a ques- 1358 tion of which I have given private notice, namely, whether the Chinese Government has at present refused to sign the agreement regarding Manchuria which Russia is now pressing upon her, and will the Government support China in her refusal.
§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNEHis Majesty's Government cannot pretend to be accurately informed as to the precise position of the negotiations, to which this country is not a party, and under these circumstances I must respectfully decline to answer any hypothetical question as to our conduct.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)Is it intended on the part of the Government to intimate to China that Russia will not be allowed to take Manchuria?
§ [No answer was returned.]
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)Do as you did at Fashoda.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDI shall give notice.