8. Mr. CATHCART WASONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been called to the complaints of Mr. W. J. St. Clair, who alleges differential ill-treatment by Belgian officials; if he has any official information showing that the official perpetrating the outrage is a German; and that British residents have been deprived of all arms at Sekania, leaving them without any defence against wild beasts or hostile persons?
Mr. PRIMROSEAs regards the last part of the question, the Acting Consul-General at Boma reported on 9th December that the disarming of two British subjects at Manyambo, in the Kilo district, about which a complaint had been made, was due to a general order issued by the Vice-Governor-General of the Eastern Province of the Congo applying to everyone alike, and that the Vice-Governor-General stated that there was no fear of attack either by natives or wild beasts in that district. I have received no information as to any complaints having been made by Mr. W. J. St. Clair.