§ Colonel YATEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Mr. Cardona, the acting Lieutenant-Governor of Malta, was requested to see to the safety of Maltese British subjects at Benghazi; and whether the only action taken by him was the reply that he felt assured that the interests of Maltese residents there were engaging the attention of His Majesty's Consul, or whether the acting Lieutenant-Governor took steps to ascertain if the Maltese residents at Benghazi had any means of leaving the town previous to the bombardment?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)The Government of Malta has no means of protecting British subjects in foreign countries: and that Government, therefore, rightly referred such applications to His Majesty's Government.
§ Colonel YATEMay I ask what action His Majesty's Government took in the matter?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThat action should form the subject of another question to the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
§ Colonel YATEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether complaints that the Government of Malta had taken no steps to protect its suffering subjects at Benghazi, of whom it appears eight were killed and several wounded during the bombardment, have been brought to his notice; and whether he can give any information on the subject?
§ Mr. HARCOURTThe Government of Malta has no means of protecting British subjects in foreign countries. The Italian Government undertook, at the outset of hostilities, to protect foreign subjects by all available means.
Mr. POINTERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can now state whether, on the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from Tripoli, any of the shops and stores that were pillaged belonged to the Maltese; if so, how many were affected; and whether he has any definite information regarding the reaping of Maltese crops by Arabs?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. Grey)I have at present nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 1st November, except that His Majesty's Consul-General at Tripoli has reported that certain claims for damages have been made by British subjects. The Consul-General has been instructed to report fully as to the nature and amount of these claims.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government had, previous to the issue of the ultimatum by Italy, any knowledge of Italy's intention to take possession of Tripoli; on what date did the Government first become aware of that intention; and did they express any approval or otherwise of that intention?
§ Sir E. GREYWe had known for some time that the Italian Government complained of unfair treatment by the Turkish Government in Tripoli. We did not know till the issue of the ultimatum and the declaration of war what steps they proposed to take, nor were we consulted upon them. We at once declared our neutrality.
§ Mr. DILLONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any official information showing that six Turkish officers have been arrested in Egypt on the charge that they were proceeding to Tripoli; if so, will he say on whose authority the arrests were made; and on what principle can such arrests be justified?
§ Sir E. GREYThe answer is in the negative. I have not received such information.