MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that by the Hague Convention of 29th July, 1899, which established a Permanent Arbitral Court at the Hague, His Majesty's Government agreed with the Russian Government and other Governments that they would use all their efforts to ensure the peaceable settlement of international differences, and that they especially recommended by Article IX. that in differences involving neither honour nor vital interests, and arising from a divergence of opinion on points of fact, such differences should be referred for report to an International Commission of Inquiry, they will now consider the advisability of proposing to the Russian Government a reference to the arbitral jurisdiction of the Hague of the questions which have recently arisen relative to the claims and position of Russia in Manchuria. I beg also to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, have His Majesty's Government considered, or will they consider, the advisability of proposing to the Russian Government to refer 962 to the Hague Tribunal of Arbitral Jurisdiction the pending questions affecting the interests of the two countries in Persia, in Afghanistan, in Asia Minor, and in the Dardanelles?
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (MR. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)In reply to my hon. friend I would say that, while the Government are desirous of using to the utmost the advantages given to international relations by the constitution of The Hague tribunal, we do not think any of the questions now pending between us and Russia are of a kind which that tribunal could usefully deal with.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESHas the right hon. Gentleman in mind the special form of tribunal I refer to—the International Commission of Inquiry?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI quite appreciate the hon. Member's supplementary question, but I do not think it modifies the general view indicated in my first answer.