2. Mr. CATHCART WASONasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will ascertain if last spring the Bulgarian Premier formally took possession of the Serbian Legation; and, if so, whether he will consider if it would be reasonable if the enemy Embassies were taken over here, especially in view of the great demands for suitable pre- 4 mises for public purposes and the special requirements of the Young Men's Christian Association?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord Robert Cecil)I understand that the Bulgarian Government not only seized the Serbian Legation house at Sofia, but sold the furniture, confiscated the archives, and arrested and detained as a prisoner of war the former archivist of the Legation who had been left in charge of the premises.
Although His Majesty's Government share the indignation of the Serbian Government at this gross offence against the comity of nations, they nevertheless consider that the treatment of the houses formerly occupied by enemy diplomatic missions in London should rather depend upon that accorded to the British Embassy and Legation houses in the enemy capitals. The Bulgarian Government have not so far interfered with the British Legation house at Sofia, though at one time they threatened to requisition it. They subsequently withdrew the threat.