§ MR. HARMOOD-BANNERTO ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is yet in a position to give to the House any assurance that the claims on the Government of Russia in connection with the sinking of British steamers have been duly acknowledged and will be paid in due course; and, if not, what steps His Majesty's Goverment intend to take to obtain redress for the owners of the destroyed steamers.
(Answered by Mr. A. J. Balfour.) I think the best Answer to my hon. friend's Question is to refer him to the speech delivered by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on Monday last, in which it was stated that claims for compensation in respect of all these cases 71 have been or will be presented to the Russian Government irrespective of any decision by a Prize Court.