§ Mr. GIBSON BOWLESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the House any information with reference to the action His Majesty's Government have taken and the attitude they now hold as regards the position and future of Crete, and can he lay any correspondence upon the Table; and, if not now, can he name any time when he proposes to give the House that information and to disclose the correspondence?
§ Sir EDWARD GREYHis Majesty's Government, who have always acted in full agreement with the other protecting Powers in regard to the Cretan Question, have recently, in conjunction with the Governments of France, Russia, and Italy, caused collective notes to be addressed to the Cretan Executive Committee stating that the Powers will not permit the 1199 Mussulman functionaries to be debarred from the exercise of their functions or deprived of the emoluments of office under the pretext that they have not taken the oath of allegiance to the King of Greece, and that if Mussulman deputies are excluded from the Assembly on a similar pretext, the Powers will consider what steps are required to regularise the situation. The attitude of His Majesty's Government, as of the other protecting Powers, consists in the maintenance of the suzerainty of the Sultan of Turkey, the protection of the Mussulman inhabitants, and the furtherance of the good government of the island under an autonomous regime. The statement which has been made in certain quarters that His Majesty's Government hold a different view from that of the other protecting Powers, is entirely without foundation. The Cretans have lately given provocation to Turkey by repeated attempts to alter the status quo, and have shown little consideration for the advice of the four Powers to whom they owe their autonomy. It will be necessary to ensure that the Cretans do not make changes which might give rise to a breach of the peace in the Near East, and having obtained their autonomy it would be most unwise of them to force others to take action which cannot be to their advantage. I do not think the present is a suitable moment for publishing correspondence.
§ Mr. GIBSON BOWLESCan the right hon. Gentleman state when the collective address was presented; what does it state, and has any reply been received?
§ Sir EDWARD GREYPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will give me notice. It was quite recently.