§ MR. CHARLES McARTHUR (Liverpool, Exchange)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is in a position to make any statement with respect to the demands made by His Majesty's Government on behalf of the owners and crews of British merchant ships unjustifiably seized, detained, or destroyed by Russian cruisers, or with respect to measures taken to prevent a repetition of these outrages. The hon. Member explained he was only asking for general information.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESMay I ask whether the Prime Minister can now answer a Question with regard to the "Knight Commander," which was sunk in July last, and with respect to which he said in August last that he expected reparation would be mode?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have no doubt there will be reparation; but I do not think it would be possible to give in answer to a Question a general statement entirely fulfilling the intention or the phraseology of the Question of the hon. Member; and I am glad to be able to inform him and the House that we have the best reason for knowing that the Russian Government disapprove of the course taken by these cruisers, and that orders have been transmitted to the "Dnieper" at Jibuti which will render it quite impossible for any repetition on the part of that vessel of these outrages, as we think, on international law.