§ EARL PERCY (Kensington, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in proposing to the Powers that the task of restoring public security in Macedonia should be 1533 undertaken by an increased gendarmerie force under the command of foreign officers with executive authority, and that the funds for the maintenance and equipment of this force should be secured by a reduction of the Turkish regular army now stationed in the country, His Majesty's Government have re-affirmed the proposition laid down by Lord Lansdowne that, in the event of the adoption of such a policy, it would be reasonable to expect that Bulgaria would be willing to carry out a simultaneous and corresponding reduction, and to enforce measures to the satisfaction of the Powers, with the view of preventing the organisation and equipment of insurgent bands in her own or Turkish territory; and that, failing a satisfactory arrangement on this basis, the Powers should give a collective guarantee that during the specified period, Bulgaria would not be allowed to occupy any portion of Turkish territory.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir EDWARD GREY,) Northumberland, BerwickThe proposition to which the noble Lord refers was not included in the proposals recently made by His Majesty's Government. These proposals were put forward in general terms, and a small decrease of Turkish troops, whose place would be taken by a corresponding increase of gendarmerie, would not necessarily raise so large a question. In the event of proposals of wider scope being made in the future, it would be reasonable that the question of some form of guarantee such as Lord Lansdowne indicated should again be considered.