§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked whether the Foreign Secretary's attention has been called to a meeting of the Council of the Committee of Union and Progress at Constantinople, on 26th April, at which it was reported that the committee's agent in England stated that, if Russia managed to open the Dardanelles, England would occupy Suda Bay; whether this supposed agent has had any official ground whatever for making such a statement; and whether His Majesty's Government will inform the Turkish Government that under no circumstances will His Majesty's Government involve themselves in the liability and expense of occupying any such naval station?
§ Mr. ACLANDThe answer to the first question is in the negative. The answer to the second is that I am unaware of the existence of the individual referred to, but that if he does exist there is no ground whatever for the statement ascribed to him. The answer to the third question is that it is contrary to practice for His Majesty's Government to take official notice of unauthorised statements of this nature, to which no credence would be attached by responsible authorities; but, if the hon. Member is anxious lest we should have the design attributed to us in the question, I can assure him that I have no intention whatever of entertaining it, and have never even thought of it.