Mr. PIKE PEASEasked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether the commercial relations of the United Kingdom and Germany are regulated by a resolution of the Bundesrath, which can be rescinded solely at the pleasure of Germany; and will he state what are the difficulties in the way of the negotiation of a permanent most-favoured-nation treaty with that country?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Acland)The commercial relations of the United Kingdom with Germany are regulated by a law issued periodically by the German Emperor with the assent of the Federal Council and the Reichstag. This arrangement, which gives to the products of the United Kingdom most-favoured-nation treatment, appears to be sufficiently satisfactory from the point of view of this country to make it unnecessary to attempt to negotiate a treaty at present.