§ Mr. HAZLETONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, on the 9th instant, His Majesty's Government recognised the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina by Austria; if so, whether this involved its assent to the violation of Article 25 of the Berlin Treaty; and whether he will state the reasons why this course was taken and why the demand for an international conference on the subject was abandoned?
§ Mr. McKINNON WOODOn 17th April His Majesty's Ambassador at Vienna addressed a note to the Austro-Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, informing His Excellency of the assent of His Majesty's Government to the abrogation of Article 25 of the Treaty of Berlin. This action does not involve His Majesty's Government's assent to the violation of the Article in question. It was taken because the two Treaty Powers most directly interested had come to an agreement on the subject, all the Powers Signatory of the Treaty of Berlin were unanimous in making the alteration desired in the Treaty, and the conditions which seemed to us—as one of the Treaty Powers—to be essential had been secured.