§ 1. Mr. DAVID MASONasked the Under—Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will take steps to find out whether the Imperial German Chancellor, in opposing all territorial acquisitions by Germany, is representing the views of the German Government?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord Robert Cecil)We have no means of finding out the views of the German Government except by their public utterances. I must point out that it is their business to make 177 their own views known without our help, and they are perfectly capable of doing so when they think it desirable.
§ Mr. MASONCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he thinks it possible through a neutral Power to get this information?
§ Lord R. CECILNo, Sir.
§ Mr. MASONCan the right hon. Gentleman inform the House whether His Majesty's Government are desirous of eliciting this information?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of this question.
§ 7. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the statement recently made by M. Sazonoff, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the Russian "Slovo," in which he stated that he was ready to admit that Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg did not wish the War and was not the direct promoter of it, and in which he further stated that at the beginning of the War resolutions taken by the three Allied Powers with regard to the various parts of the Ottoman Empire, and particularly those interesting to Russia, fully assured to Russia the realisation of her national and ancient aspirations; and whether, in view of the importance of the statement, he will cause a translation to be placed in the Library?
§ Lord R. CECILI have seen, in the British Press, a summary of the interview to which the hon. Member refers. I will inquire whether it was an authorised statement by M. Sazonoff, and if so a translation of the article will be placed in the Library as soon as it has been received from Petrograd.