§ 2. Mr. KINGasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether passports have been given to Mr. Wickham Steed, Dr. H. W. Seton Watson, and Mr. Nelson Gay to proceed to Rome for a conference with persons claiming to represent nationalities in Austria: whether any of these gentlemen are or recently were in the service of the Government; whether the conference has been undertaken at the desire of the Foreign Office; whether these gentlemen are attending it as representatives of the British Government; and whether the objects and results of this conference can be communicated to the House?
§ The MINISTER of BLOCKADE (Lord Robert Cecil)Lord Northcliffe, after consultation with the Foreign Office, delegated Mr. Steed to proceed to Italy as his representative to study there certain aspects of questions relating to propaganda. I understand that Dr. Seton-Watson, whose services have been utilised in the past by the Ministry of Information, has been in Rome with Mr. Steed, and that Mr. Nelson Gay, an American citizen, is also there. I have no further information as to the conference referred to in the question than has appeared in the Press.
§ Mr. KINGThen we may gather that, as far as the Government is concerned, it is Lord Northcliffe, and not the Foreign Office, who is in any way responsible for this conference?