§ MR. BOWLES (Lambeth, Norwood)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the acceptance by the Porte and the Powers of the conditions proposed by His Majesty's Government as to the Turkish Customs duties, and the consequent acceptance of the extra 3 per cent. duty on imports into Turkey, will forward the construction of the Baghdad Railway.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe proceeds of the additional Customs duties of 3 per cent. would be devoted to the requirements of the Macedonian Budget and would not, therefore, be available for any other purpose. To what purposes the financial requirements of the Turkish Empire will allow any of the rest of the Turkish revenue to be devoted must remain a matter of opinion or conjecture.
§ MR. BOWLESasked whether there was anything in the conditions imposed by His Majesty's Government which would prevent the allocation of the sum set free by the imposition of these duties to the purpose he had mentioned.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYIt is a question as to what sum would be set free. The deficit of the Macedonian Budget, so far, has not been met out of revenue.