§ 16. Mr. LEES-SMITHasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government has received confirmation of the message published by Reuter from New York that Captain W. L. Hicks, of the British Army, and Captain W. B. Webster, of the United States Army, who were invited by M. Trotsky to inspect the conditions in Serbia, have telegraphed that the rumours of the arming of thou sands of Austro-German prisoners are greatly exaggerated, and that those who have been armed mainly consist of Austrians who had either deserted early in the War or who were Socialists and had renounced their Austrian citizenship?
§ Lord R. CECILThe report referred to is substantially as stated.