§ 54. Colonel Lord HENRY CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Prime Minister whether the War Cabinet have yet considered the question whether fresh proposals shall be made to the Turkish Government for a general exchange of prisoners; and whether they are aware of the urgency of this question, seeing that the British prisoners are suffering privations?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt has been thought best to await the return of the delegates from the Hague before taking further steps in this matter. I regret to add that, as my Noble Friend is aware, 37 owing to the dilatoriness of the Turkish Government, the Berne Agreement has not yet been put into operation.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNo; but our representatives at the Hague are gentlemen who are dealing with this question, and it is obvious that future agreement will be facilitated if agreement is once reached at the Hague with Germany.
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKIs there any reason why the Government should not consider the question of a fresh agreement?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNot at all; but, as I have indicated in answer to a supplementary question, the chances of reaching agreement with the Turks would be improved if an agreement has first been made at the Hague.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that if the question is not settled before next winter there may be another 25 per cent. casualties?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Government are fully alive to all the evils which my hon. and gallant Friend has in view, and are doing what they can.
§ Colonel YATEWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the question of appointing a fresh representative to conduct these negotiations with Turkey, now that the Home Secretary has come back?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNegotiations have not been conducted with Turkey at the Hague at all.
§ 67. Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) whether the Turkish Government returned 100 British prisoners many months ago; and will he say whether the British Government has yet returned a similar number of Turkish prisoners in exchange.
§ Mr. JAMES HOPE (Lord of the Treasury)I am informed by the military authorities that the one hundred Turkish prisoners referred to are at the moment in course of repatriation.
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKDoes not the hon. Gentleman agree that it is an unfortunate position that we should give to the Turkish Government a very bad example of dilatoriness?
§ Mr. HOPEI agree with nothing of the kind. What happened on this occasion was that the prisoners were detained mainly for reasons of quarantine, which were quite insuperable at the time.