§ MR. MOON (St Pancras, N.)To ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the sphere allotted to England in Macedonia is so much smaller than that allotted to the other Powers, viz., containing, in the matter of population, approximately, one-seventh of that in the French sphere, one-fifth of that in the Russian sphere, one-fourth of that in the Italian sphere, and one-tenth of that in the Austro-Hungarian sphere, and, in point of area, approximately, one-fifth of the French area, one-seventh of the Russian area, one-fourth of the Italian area, and one-fourth of the Austro-Hungarian area.
(Answered by Earl Percy.) The area of the sphere allotted to Great Britain is
†See (4) Debates, cxxxix., 990.554 1,580 square miles and not 1,080 as stated in a previous Answer. The distribution of the areas was governed by considerations of administrative convenience and arranged by the Gendarmerie an Commission consisting of the oreign staff officers and presided over by General de Giorgis. In view of the paramount importance of arriving at a prompt solution of the question, the various Powers endeavoured as far as possible to meet each other's wishes. An equalisation of areas on the basis of population and geographical extent would have been hardly practicable, and the British officers have ample scope for their labours in the district assigned to them.