§ Mr. DILLONI wish to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs a question of which I have given him private notice: Whether his attention has been directed to a telegram from Sheikh Ali Yusef, president of the Red Crescent Society of Cairo, in which it was stated that the Italian Government had withdrawn permission for a Red Crescent expedition to land in Tripoli, and that this expedition was organised for succour to wounded of both sides; whether he has ascertained by cable whether the allegations contained in Sheikh Ali Yusef's telegram are correct; and, if they are, whether he will remonstrate with the Italian Government and request them to allow the expedition to proceed by the shortest route to the seat of war?
§ Mr. ACLANDHis Majesty's Consul-General at Cairo has been in communication with the Italian authorities on the subject who originally agreed to the passage of the Red Crescent mission to Tripoli by land on assurances that the mission would only comprise medical staff and no combatants. Lord Kitchener has 832 since been informed that all difficulties about the voyage of the mission by sea have now been removed, and that permission for that will be given.