§ Mr. CROFTasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he can give any definite information as to whether any foreign countries will sanction the contracting-out of Imperial Treaties by certain Dominions without the treaty being denounced?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Acland)The Swedish Government have consented to the separate withdrawal of the Dominions from the Anglo-Swedish commercial treaties by which they are bound. The Mexican Government, who were approached before the negotiations recently commenced were opened, have also agreed to the withdrawal of certain of the Dominions from our commercial treaty with Mexico.
§ Mr. CROFTasked whether the opinion of the Dominion Government of Canada has been ascertained with regard to the proposal to alter the existing Imperial trade treaties to the exclusion of certain dominions from those treaties?
§ Mr. ACLANDI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on the 1201 14th of November last. There has been no occasion for consulting the new Canadian Government on the question, and no object in doing so. It is not a question of the exclusion of the Dominions from the commercial treaties by which they are bound, but of securing for them the right of separate withdrawal, in case they desire to exercise it.