Mr. LEVERTON HARRISasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he had received any recent information as to the intentions of the Turkish Government with regard to the Sporades Islands; and whether he could now renew the former successful intercessions of His Majesty's Government with the Sublime Porte, so as to secure for the delegates from the islands now at Constantinople a speedy and favourable response to their petition that the ancient privileges of the islanders should not be interfered with?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. McKinnon Wood)I can add nothing to the reply given to the hon. Member on 9th December last, and, for the reasons then given, I do not consider that it would be in the interests of the islanders for His Majesty's Government to intervene in the internal affairs of the Turkish Empire.
Mr. LEVERTON HARRISAre we to understand that the Government are not going to follow precedents, but refuse altogether to intervene?
Mr. McKINNON WOODI do not think it is a question of following precedents. The position and circumstances are entirely altered, as was explained in the answer of 9th December.