§ 3. Mr. LYNCHasked whether the right hon. Gentleman can lay upon the Table of the House any correspondence that has-passed between him and the British Ambassador at Washington relative to the participation of this nation in the San Francisco Exhibition of 1915; whether the question of expense has determined the decision not to co-operate; whether he has been made aware of the importance attached to this matter, not only in San-Francisco, but throughout the Republic; whether copies of the prominent American newspapers dealing with the subject have come under his notice; whether he has carefully weighed against the pecuniary consideration the advantage of American good will; and whether he proposes even now to take steps to retrieve the position?
§ Sir E. GREYI cannot usefully add anything to the statements made in the House last August, and to the answer given by the Prime Minister on the 12th of this month to the hon. Member for Plymouth, to the effect that His Majesty's Government have recently reconsidered the matter, and regret that they do not feel able to modify their previous decision.
§ Mr. LYNCHIs the right hon. Gentleman fully aware of the immense importance of the good will of the United States, as for instance, in this present affair of Mexico?
§ Sir E. GREYI am very much aware of it, and we attach the greatest importance to the good will of the United States in the matter. I hope in all large questions of policy we have made it quite apparent that we do attach that importance to it, but I cannot think the same importance attaches to the question of participation in this particular exhibition.
§ Mr. LYNCHIf the right hon. Gentleman attaches so much importance to the good will of the United States, why does lie not take better means to cultivate it?
§ 45. Mr. LYNCHasked the Prime Minister whether the decision is irrevocable that Great Britain and Ireland will not be represented officially at the San Francisco Exhibition of 1915?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)As I stated a short time ago, His Majesty's Government have recently reconsidered this matter, and see no reason to modify their previous decision.
§ Mr. HARRY LAWSONWill official encouragement and facilities be given by the Foreign Office and the Board of Trade to those who are organising exhibits by private enterprise?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI should like to have notice of that question.
§ 41. Mr. LYNCHasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the names of the British Dominions participating in the San Francisco Exhibition of 1915, with a short account of the status they claim, the flags they intend to fly, and the outlay they will incur, whether the representatives of the Dominions have consulted him in the matter; whether they have desired that Great Britain and Ireland should be represented; if so, what was the nature of his 1566 reply; and whether his activities in the matter are at an end?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)Canada will participate and New Zealand, and, I understand, in some degree Australia,, but not South Africa. I forwarded the invitation of the United States Government to the self-governing Dominions in May, 1912, and have been in communication with them ever since, but I am not informed of what they propose to do in detail. Some of them have applied for information at different times as to the attitude of His Majesty's Government, but none of them have expressed a desire that we should reconsider our decision.
§ Mr. LYNCHIs the right hon Gentleman's attitude due to the Dominions correctly represented by writing "Secretary of State" with two capital "S's," and "Dominion" with a small "d"?