§ SIR SEYMOUR KINGTo ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether the Government has any information, either through its diplomatic agents in Russia, or through the agents of the Government of India, or otherwise, of any intention or endeavours on the part of the Russian Government to establish diplomatic or commercial relations with Afghanistan, or to obtain Russian influence in that country; whether he can give the Mouse an assurance that no demands to this effect, either in this country, in India, or in Afghanistan, have been brought to the knowledge of the British or Indian Governments, whether confidentially or otherwise; and whether it continues to be an understanding between the Russian and British Governments that Afghanistan is to remain outside the sphere of Russian influence.
(Answered by Viscount Cranhorne.) His Majesty's Government have received a communication from the Russian Government proposing that direct relations should be established between Russia and Afghanistan with regard to frontier matters. It was stated that these relations would have no political character, as the Russian Government maintained their former engagements, and continued to consider Afghanistan as being outside the sphere of Russian influence. His Majesty's Government, having regard to the understanding by which Afghanistan is outside the sphere of Russian influence, have replied that it would be impossible for them to take into consideration any change in existing arrangements, or to frame proposals to be brought before the Ameer without some more precise explanation in regard 209 to the method which the Russian Government would desire to see adopted for the exchange of such communications between the frontier officials, the limitations to be placed on them, and the means of insuring that those limitations would be observed. To this communication no answer has yet been received.