§ MR. ARTHUR LEE (Hampshire, Fareham)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General, whether His Majesty's Government has yet ratified the International Wireless Telegraphy Convention; and, if not, what is the latest date to which the act of ratification can be postponed.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe ratification of the Radio-telegraphic Convention by His Majesty's Government has not yet been deposited. In order that advantage may be taken of the provision as to the exemption of stations, it is necessary that the Convention should be ratified and notice given of the reservation of the right of exemption before the end of March.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEI beg to ask the Postmaster-General, whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Senate has decided to take no action at present with regard to the International Wireless Telegraphy Convention, and that the ratification of this Convention by the United States is thereby postponed indefinitely; and will he undertake that the Convention will not be ratified by His Majesty's Government unless and until the simultaneous ratification by all the first-class Powers concerned is secured.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI have seen certain statements in the Press as to the attitude of the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Senate with reference to the Radio-telegraphic Convention; but I have no official information on the subject. But I do not see any reason why the decision of His Majesty's Government to ratify the Convention should be modified.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEEWill the right hon. Gentleman take early steps to obtain official information which he can do from the British Ambassador in Washington with regard to the action of the Senate, and will he also bear in mind that the Report of the Committee, on which the Government is acting, made a specific recommendation that the ratification should not be made unless it was simultaneously signed by other Powers?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe Committee suggested to the Foreign Office that there should be something more or less in the nature of simultaneous ratification by some of the Powers, but the United States Government was certainly not one of them, and as regards the question whether that Government ratify or not, I do not see how that would affect the attitude of His Majesty's Government.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONNo, Sir.