§ 2. Mr. LYNCHasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that M. Politis, Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Greek Provisional Government at Salonika, was formerly appointed Hellenic Delegate to the Court of Arbitration at The Hague Conference; 621 that such Delegates are not removable by Royal Proclamation; that King Constan-tine has issued a decree relieving M. Politis of this office, and has embodied in this decree the statement that M. Politis has resigned his position at The Hague; and whether His Majesty's Government still recognises M. Politis as holding the office of Hellenic Delegate to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague?
§ Lord R. CECILM. Politis was appointed a member of the International Court of Arbitration on 18th July, 1914. Under the International Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes such appointments are for a term of six years, and no provision is made for their being vacated prior to the expiry of that period otherwise than by the retirement or death of the member concerned. Consequently, M. Politis' position as a member of the Court would not appear to be affected by the decree referred to, of which, however, His Majesty's Government have no official knowledge.