§ Whereupon Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER, pursuant to the Order of the House of 17th July, proposed the Question, "That this House do now adjourn."
Sir HENRY DALZIELI see that the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs is in his place, and I should like to mention once again the matter which I brought under his attention the other day, namely, the position of British subjects abroad at the present time who are anxious to get back to this country. I am conscious of the fact that he is fully aware of the urgency of the matter, but I feel it is necessary that even greater steps should be taken than have yet been taken in order to meet the present emergency. I have a letter here, which is one out of many scores I have received, which I will summarise as showing to some extent the position. It is from a well-known London physician. I shall be glad to show the letter to anyone, but I am sure the House can accept what he says as being absolutely reliable. He says that English ladies almost penniless are stranded in Paris and elsewhere. One, fourteen days after a serious operation, has been compelled to spend a night in a crowded third-class carriage and a night in a coal truck on Dieppe Quay. The need was for English money at the British Consulate in Paris and elsewhere, as there was a refusal by most hotels of cheques and Bank of England notes, and the English sovereign is valued as low as eighteen francs. If, however, the Consulate could be supplied with an adequate supply of French money, a good deal of the distress would be at once lessened, since there were many in the crowd who throng the Consulate day by day who would gladly help those in difficulties.
In the papers this morning I saw a telegram from Switzerland saying that the English people are in financial difficulties, and many of them are sleeping in Salvation 2225 Army beds. I have letters here making statements which I do not think it is advisable for me to give to the House. I think the Under-Secretary ought at once to ask the House for a Vote to deal with this matter. It seems to me that it would establish confidence abroad and it would follow, although at some considerable distance, the splendid example which has been set by the United States. I do not know whether the Vote which we have already passed is drawn widely enough to cover this matter, but it is of the most urgent character, and it is really necessary that money should be sent abroad at once, and that our Consuls should be informed that they can draw on British credit. If it is not necessary to get a Vote, I am sure the House would indemnify the Under-Secretary for anything he does in this direction. All the Vice-Consulates should be informed that they could use British credit for the purpose of immediate relief. Through the banks which have branches in London they could telegraph money immediately, and place it at their disposal as was considered necessary.
There are, of course, two sides to this question. There are those who are on their way back. Some have been for a week in the war area, having left six days ago, and have never been heard of, and naturally their relatives are in a very anxious state of mind. I have several letters from heartbroken mothers, which are very touching. The power of the Government is limited so far as those returning from France are concerned, but something might possibly be done even in that direction. There are those who are willing to come back and have not the facilities. Switzerland, in particular, is a country that ought to be considered. There are, I am informed, four or five thousand Britishers there, most of them absolutely penniless. The serious situation in regard to this matter is that food is going up so much in price that I fear that the outlook before them will be grave indeed. The hotels, of course, have been contemplating closing. That is another very serious matter. I have just heard 2226 from Switzerland that a Moratorium has been proclaimed till the end of August. That is satisfactory because it will probably keep the hotels open for some time longer. I think, therefore, if the Under-Secretary could by some means, as soon as the French mobilisation is over, arrange immediately for special trains to bring all the visitors to Switzerland over, it would be a very satisfactory matter, and it would allay the alarm which I know exists there. There is another very serious matter, though it is very difficult to suggest how it could be dealt with, and that is the position of Britishers, especially women, in Germany. I know it is difficult to approach, but I think we might keep in view the possibility through the American Ambassador in Berlin, to whom I am sure we are all grateful for what he is doing, of making a bargain to return pertain Germans in this country if we could get our own people home. I do not see that that is absolutely impossible, notwithstanding the breaking of the relations between this country and Germany. A neutral power might intervene, and I am sure it would be to the satisfaction of all who are most directly concerned. I hope the Under-Secretary will be able to give us an assurance that this matter is engaging his very careful attention, and will thus allay the feeling that exists.
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Acland)As my hon. Friend did not give notice that he was going to raise this question, I have not been able to prepare any considered answer. I gave an answer two days ago on the subject, and I have not much to add at present. I think it will be for the convenience of the House that I should give a considered answer on Monday as to the position in the different countries where there are now British subjects, and more especially with regard to the facilities which can be afforded for persons who desire to return, and also with regard to advances of money. I think it would be for the convenience of all parties that I should have copies of that answer printed for Members who will be 2227 able to send the information to their correspondents, and so on. But for the moment, I can deal with some of the points which the hon. Member has raised. Our consuls and vice-consuls in those countries have been empowered to make advances of money. During the financial crisis which there has been in other countries, it was impossible for them in some cases to get any money from the banks, but we are now informed that that state has passed over, or is very rapidly passing over, and that there is no question whatever of our wanting an extra Vote or anything of that kind. We are willing to authorise them to draw money on the credit of the British Government in all cases where they think it necessary to relieve distress. Some persons, of course, have been a little selfish in that matter. Persons who are only in want of £4 or £5 have asked for £100. We will not allow our consuls to advance large sums of that kind, but they are authorised to make small advances in cases of real distress to enable people to get back to this country. That can be done by the ordinary machinery which we now possess without coming to this House for any Vote to enable that to be done.
§ Mr. RONALD M'NEILLIs there any means by which the Government can notify all the people abroad who are concerned in this matter that this machinery is in operation? There are cases of young ladies near the French and German borders, and this class of subjects very often have not the knowledge to apply to the British Consuls for assistance. Can the British Government, through the British representatives or otherwise, take steps to bring this information to the knowledge of our subjects in those places?
§ Mr. ACLANDAll I can say, as I stated two days ago, is that "we cannot undertake to give our representatives special instructions in special cases. We cannot instruct them to inform specially any particular persons, or to come specially to the aid of particular persons. The only exception I make is in the case of Belgium, where I am able to make a small exception. In the case of Belgium, people have 2228 been taken more by surprise than in other cases, and we have been in a position to arrange in certain instances that the representative of the British Government should do what he can in those particular cases in the country round Liege and the actual war area. With regard to France, it is true that for some days there was a state approaching panic, and in the changing of negotiable instruments and matters of that kind, there was undoubtedly a very great deal of hardship to English people in Paris, but we have definite information that that is very rapidly passing away, and that a large number of people are coming back by the ordinary routes. Advances of money have been made in many definite cases of which we know, and people are finding it, I believe, much easier to get cheques, bank-notes, circular notes, and things of that kind, cashed. With regard to Switzerland, there are a great number who are coming into the towns. I wish they had stayed in the mountain resorts, rather than crowd into Geneva and other places. Our representatives in these places are endeavouring to arrange for trains to bring them across France. Everything must give way to the French necessity of completing their mobilisation before other arrangements are made. I can only say that I am very sorry that we have not been able to complete any definite arrangement for trains to come with these people across France. I hope that that will be arranged as soon as possible. I hope to be able to give further information about that on Monday. But meanwhile there ought not under the arrangements made to be any difficulty about small advances to British people to tide them over until those arrangements can be made.
With regard to Germany the position is different. Our representatives of course have ceased to work there, and our interests have been very kindly taken over by the United States. But we must remember that similarly German interests in England have also been taken over by the United States, and I think that we ought in those cases of persons whose 2229 whereabouts are not now known, who may be in distress in Germany, not to bring those cases individually before the American Embassy or Consulates in this country, whose primary duty, in addition to all their ordinary work, is to look after the interests of German subjects in this country. I have arranged with the American Embassy, who have been most courteous in the matter, that as far as possible we shall shelter them from particular applications made direct to them with regard to British subjects in Germany. But those inquiries ought to come through the Foreign Office. I shall be staying there during the recess, and therefore, if hon. Members will write direct to me about cases which they know, we have arranged to transmit them whenever convenient to the American Embassy lists of those persons concerning whom we wish to have inquiries made or for whom it is urgent that something should be done, and they will transmit them by whatever may be the most safe or expeditious manner to their representatives, so that whatever can be done will be done. But I would ask persons not to send particular cases to the American Embassy, but to send them, if they think it necessary to do so, either to hon. Members or direct to the Foreign Office where we will do the best we can.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEThe hon. Gentleman will remember that yesterday I brought to his attention the case of a young girl who has been stranded in Berlin, and he was good enough to say that he would communicate with the United States Ambassador at Washington, and that the Ambassador would communicate with Berlin, but the hon. Gentleman told me that he could not guarantee to communicate by cable. I would ask him if he could not insist on the cabling being done?
§ Mr. ACLANDIt is quite natural that the hon. Gentleman should ask that, but the arrangement which I have been describing is subsequent to the conversation which I had with him, and it is a better arrangement. We do not think it necessary to communicate at all with Washington. 2230 We shall short-circuit the matter. Lists of persons prepared in the Foreign Office will be forwarded as often as possible by the quickest route that is available to the representatives of the United States Government in Germany. I will now only add that the matter is well in hand and there is no break-down in our arrangement. It will be for the convenience of the House that I should give a more formal and more considered statement on Monday which would explain the position as far as possible. There must be a great deal of inconvenience, but I have not heard of cases of actual danger. People, especially those in Germany, must be as patient as they can, and keep as quiet as they can, and we very much hope by the generous aid of the representatives of the United States that some such arrangement as my right hon. Friend suggests for the transfer or exchange of British subjects in Germany, and German subjects in this country, can be come to before very long.
Sir HENRY DALZIELWill the hon. Gentleman try to ascertain the whereabouts of large numbers of English people who left Switzerland last Sunday and have not since been in any way heard of?
§ Mr. ACLANDYes, Sir.