§ The following question appeared on the Paper in the name of Mr. RONALD McNEILL:
§ 10. To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received information to the effect that the French military authorities at Salonika are in possession of proofs that bands of irregulars and comitadjis guilty of depredations on the Venizelists in Greece have been armed and organised from Athens; whether the assistant commissioner of police at Kipourgo was recently arrested by the French for communicating false statements concerning the French Army to the Athenian Press and was found in possession of written orders from the King's officials to the chiefs of irregular bands committing depredations in Thessaly, as well as of rifles and ammunition of the Greek army pattern; and whether the Powers who guaranteed constitutional government in Greece have taken or will take any steps to prevent the possibility of such occurrences in the future?
§ Mr. McNEILLBefore this question is answered, Mr. Speaker, may I approach you on a matter of Order? This question appears in a very different form from that in which I gave notice of it, and I want to ask whether the rule which prohibits expressions reflecting on friendly Sovereigns can be held to apply to the King of Greece, having regard to the fact that he is notoriously unfriendly?
§ Mr. SPEAKERTechnically, he is a friendly Sovereign.
§ Mr. McNEILLAre we to be bound by that technicality in face of the notorious facts?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere is no use in insulting neutral Sovereigns.
§ Mr. McNEILLThen I will ask my question in its new form.
§ Lord R. CECILThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the last part the French General Commanding-in-Chief the Allied Forces in Macedonia is taking all necessary steps to deal with the situation.