§ 11. Mr. RONALD MCNEILLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has received any official information with regard to the atrocities committed by the Bulgarians in Macedonia; in particular, whether the Bulgars have massacred in the village of Doglavatz nine entire families, aggregating forty-seven persons, and 110 other individual men, women, and children, besides flogging or mutilating others; whether in fifteen other Macedonian villages the Bulgars massacred seventy-one persons -whose names are known, besides many others unidentified, these victims being knifed, shot, beaten to death, burnt alive, and tortured in various ways, while kidnapping and robbery of the worst type are of common occurrence; and, if so, whether any steps are being taken to compile an official record of these atrocities and to bring them to the knowledge of neutral Governments?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY Of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord Robert Cecil)I have no official information as to such occurrences. Note is kept of reports of atrocities that reach His Majesty's Government with the view of subsequent verification and the eventual exaction of reparation, but it is of little use to communicate to neutral Governments unsubstantiated statements, the truth of which 809 those Governments are at present better able than His Majesty's Government to ascertain.
§ 12. Mr. R. MCNEILLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Bulgaria has announced that her troops entered Macedonia as liberators of a Bulgar population from Serbian rule, and has put forward claims to the districts so occupied on grounds of nationality; whether these same districts contain the villages of Doglavatz, Marjar, Strevja, Rapesh, Vitalishto, Kostinatz, and others, in which the Bulgars have committed wholesale massacre, torture, mutilation, rape, robbery, and incendiarism; and whether an official record of these transactions will be preserved and considered in relation to the settlement of Balkan problems after the War?
§ Lord R. CECILAs regards the first part of the question, I understand that the Bulgarian Government have advanced extensive claims on the ground of nationality. As regards the second part, I have no official information; the suggestion contained in the last part will be borne in mind.
§ 13. Mr. R. MCNEILLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any official information of the reign of terror said to prevail in the part of Nish under Bulgarian military rule; whether all works of art, manuscripts, and books of any value have been either destroyed or carried away; whether he inhabitants are being robbed and butchered by a force of gendarmerie sent from Sofia, assisted by a rabble of spies, detectives, and criminals enjoying Bulgarian patronage and pay; if he is aware tha the Bulgarian National Bank is buying up Serbian notes at a price fixed by Bulgarian official decree much below their market value, and that severe penalties are inflicted on any person offering to pay more than the official rate for such notes; and whether he will take steps in conjunction with the Allied Governments, to make it known that the King of Bulgaria will be held personally account able to the Allied Powers for the state of affairs prevailing in Serbia and particularly in the town of Nish?
§ Lord R. CECILIt is very difficult to know what is the real truth about the condition of affairs in territory occupied by our enemies, and I should be glad to receive any evidence possessed by my hon. Friend on the subject. If atrocities such as he describes are being committed His 810 Majesty's Government have repeatedly said that they will hold responsible those whoever they may be who have authorised or permitted such crimes.
§ Mr. McNEILLIs the Noble Lord able to say that in the absence of specific proof against individuals the head of the State will be held liable?
§ Lord R. CECILI should not like to give a pledge of that kind without consultation with my colleagues.