§ MR. SMEATON (Stirlingshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any official information showing that recently the Russian commander on the Persian frontier, on the pretext that one of his horses had strayed, entered Persian territory, accompanied by armed men, without informing the Persian authorities; that after killing the servant of a Persian family the Russian party retired; that immediately thereafter a Russian force entered Persian territory, sacked and burnt the villages of Beliasuvar and Zargar and another village, and killed over 100 persons; whether this proceeding is in accordance with the stipulation of the recently concluded Anglo-Russian Convention; whether there is any guarantee that, on a like pretext, similar violation of territory and similar outrages may not be perpetrated on the Russo-Afghan frontier; and what action His Majesty's Government, as the other high contracting party 1558 to the Convention, has taken or intends to take in the matter.
§ MR. J. A. PEASEMy right hon. friend has no official information which corroborates the account of this incident given by the hon. Member. All that he knows of the affair is contained in the reply returned on 25th May to the Question asked by the hon. Member for the Ripon Division of Yorkshire.
§ MR. LYNCH (Yorkshire, W.R., Ripon)May I ask whether, seeing that the Anglo-Russian Convention guaranteed the integrity of Persia, it is not the business of His Majesty's Government to inquire into frontier incidents of this nature
§ MR. J. A. PEASEI must ask for notice.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWhy is-not the Secretary for Foreign Affairs here to answer Questions?
§ MR. J. A. PEASEWhen the Foreign Secretary was appointed, the Prime Minister at that time explained that on two days a week he would be substituted.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLAnd is he to be substituted in going to Russia?
§ [No Answer was returned.]