§ 16. Major CHAPPLEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in conjunction with our Allies and America, he will issue a reasoned statement for the guidance and warning of Russia regarding the serious results, both immediate and remote, that are likely to follow if the present chaos is allowed to continue or a separate peace concluded?
§ Lord R. CECILThe question is under consideration.
§ 17. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the fact that the secret treaties published by the present Russian Government reveal that the Allies were committed to aims of vast territorial aggrandisement; and can he state whether the existence of these commitments was the cause of the refusal of the request made by the Kerensky Government for a conference to reconsider war aims?
§ Lord R. CECILI cannot accept as accurate the suggestion in the first part of the question. Nor is it the fact that M. Kerensky's request was refused.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEDid not the Chancellor of the Exchequer state that, at the 1987 coming Conference, war aims would not be discussed; and was not that the cause of the Lenin rising, and the failure of M. Kerensky to form a Government?
§ Lord R. CECILI believe my right hon. Friend did make that statement; but he did not refuse the request made for a conference to discuss war aims. Nor can I allow the suggestion made by the hon. Member to pass that anything of the kind had to do with M. Kerensky's position.
§ 18. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a State document which has been published by the present Russian Government reveals that a director of a British bank was present at a conference of international financiers held at Berne in September last; can he give the name of the director referred to and the bank implicated; and can he state the circumstances under which a passport was granted?
§ 19. Mr. R. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the publication in Russian newspapers of an official statement that a meeting was held in Switzerland of international bankers and financiers on 7th September; whether passports were issued for this meeting; whether war aims were discussed at it; and whether it was the subject of any communications between the French and the British Foreign Offices?
§ Lord R. CECILI have been informed that a statement of the kind indicated has been issued in Petrograd. If any such meeting took place no British subject, so far as I know, took part in it. Certainly no passport was issued to enable him to do so, nor have any communications on the subject passed between the British and French Governments.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEIs the hon. Lord going to make inquiries as to whether the matter is stated correctly, that a British banker did attend this Conference; and can he say whether the name of the banker was censored from the telegram and therefore did not appear?
§ Lord R. CECILNo, Sir; I know nothing about the latter part of the question. We have made repeated inquiries about this matter in Switzerland and elsewhere, and the result of those inquiries is what I have already given to the House.
§ Mr. PRINGLECan the Noble Lord say whether, in fact, a passport was issued to a director of a British bank about the time of the alleged meeting?
§ Lord R. CECILI should like notice of that question.
§ Commander WEDGWOODIf the man is discovered will he be prosecuted?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a purely hypothetical question.