MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether His Majesty's Government have been called upon to make amends to the Government of the United States for the publication, on page 214 of the Blue-book, Venezuela, No. 1, 1903, of reflections of a personal character made by His Majesty's Minister at Caracas on members of the United States legation at that capital; and whether notice has been taken by the Secretary of State of the conduct of the officer in his Department charged with the preparation of this Blue-book so as to prevent any recurrence of an incident of this nature.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe United States Secretary of State brought to our notice the passage to which the Question refers, and was informed by His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington that it had escaped attention, otherwise it would not have been published. I need say no more than that an error of this kind, however regrettable, may occasionally occur in a Department, especially when that Department is undergoing the strain of heavy work.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUROf course proper notice has been taken of it in the Department.