HC Deb 19 April 1904 vol 133 cc528-9
MR. CHARLES ALLEN (Gloucestershire, Stroud)

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can state whether the Turkish Government have refused the proposals with regard to the Macedonian gendarmerie put forward by the Governments of Austria and Russia since the Turkish Note of 25th March; and, if so, whether the twenty-five foreign officers appointed to the gendarmarie will be accompanied by non-commissioned officers; and whether the powers of these officers have as yet been fully agreed upon and defined.

EARL PERCY

The Turkish Government have since their Note of the 24th maintained their refusal to employ the full complement of officers and non-commissioned officers proposed by the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Ambassadors. The latter have in a Note dated 1st April, insisted on an unreserved acceptance of their demands and in the meantime the twenty-five foreign officers, whose employment has already been sanctioned, have been ordered to proceed to Salonica. No non-commissioned officers have yet been sent out. The powers to be exercised by the foreign officers were defined in the Note presented to the Porte, and no objection was raised in their last reply.

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