§ MR. LYNCHI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in the event of an agreement being reached between the Governments of Russia and Turkey for the passage of Russian warships from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean, His Majesty's Government will make it a condition of their assent to such an arrangement that our warships shall have similar rights of passage into the Black Sea; and whether, in the recent discussions that have taken place between His Majesty's Government and that of Russia, the Russian Government have been informed in this sense.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYThe question of the Straits is not included in any suggested programme for the Conference and it would in my opinion add to the difficulties of the situation if the discussion of subjects outside those with which we have immediately to deal wore insisted upon. The hon. Member may rest assured that in any discussion about the opening of the Straits His Majesty's Government will see that British interests are not injuriously affected.
§ MR. LYNCHArising out of that answer, may I ask whether it is a fact that His Majesty's Government expressed the view that this is a matter which can be settled between Turkey and Russia; 936 and that the Turkish Government demurred to that?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYI do not desire to promote any discussion of the question of the Straits at this moment, when there are so many other things under discussion. I must decline to answer these questions piecemeal.