§ MR. CREMERI desire to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is a ware of the feeling prevailing in France in favour of an arrest of armaments; and whether, having regard to the conclusions at which the Committee of Defence have arrived, that a successful invasion of this country is a practical impossbility, and that since the Committee arrived at that conclusion the Russian fleet has been destroyed, will he communicate with the French Government concerning the possibility of an understanding being arrived at between His Majesty's Government and the Government of France to discontinue their rivalry in armaments.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWe have no official knowledge of the hon. Gentleman's statement. With regard to the concluding part of his Question, the subject is hardly one which can be dealt with properly by way of Question and Answer.
§ MR. CREMERDo I understand the Prime Minister to state that the Government are not willing to enter into negotiations with France on the subject indicated in the Question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have already answered a Question with regard to naval armaments, put to me by another hon. Member, and I pointed out then, as I may perhaps point out again, that the position of this country with regard to naval armaments is entirely different from that of any other country whatever. Naval armaments are to us an integral and absolutely necessary part of our national defence, and it does seem to me that it is for countries to whom fleets are not a necessary and integral part of their 869 national defence to commence negotiations rather than for us.
MR. CRRMKRBut is not the right hon. Gentleman aware of the strong feeling in France in favour of disarmament?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThat is a question on which I have no official information. The hon. Member has quite as good an opportunity of forming a judgment as I have.