§ Mr. ANEURIN WILLIAMS (by Private Notice)asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government have lately received any reports or information other than matter already published regarding the treatment accorded to the Armenian inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire during the present War?
§ Lord R. CECILHis Majesty's Government have lately received information from a reliable source which gives much detailed evidence in regard to the systematic cruelties and outrages which have been 1637 inflicted on masses of Armenians who have been deported from their homes-. The evidence goes to show that the Turkish officials have had recourse to various methods in order to exterminate these unfortunate people, that is, by famine, deliberate exposure to infectious disease, forced marches of aged men and women and young children, and, lastly, by massacres of gangs of labourers on pretext of insubordination.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSWould the right hon. Gentleman have that information printed and circulated?
§ Lord R. CECILI will consider that. I think it will be possible, and I will certainly do it if it is.
§ Mr. T. P. O'CONNORMay I ask the Noble Lord if he can trace any remonstrance by the German authorities against these massacres of the Armenians by the Turkish authorities?
§ Lord R. CECILNo, Sir. As far as I know, no remonstrance has been made of any sort or kind.
§ Mr. O'CONNORAm I not right in saving that these massacres and other measures have been defended in official utterances in the German Reichstag?
§ Lord R. CECILI believe that they have been so defended, and there is no doubt whatever that the German Government had power to stop these outrages if they had chosen to do so, but they did not.