HC Deb 18 November 1919 vol 121 cc358-9
36. Lieut. - Colonel Sir FREDERICK HALL

asked if, prior to the commencement of War in 1914 and subsequent to the delivery of Austria's ultimatum to Serbia, Viscount Grey, the then Secretary of State, made a proposal that Austria should occupy Belgrade and the neighbourhood and hold it until she had received complete satisfaction and await the results of the efforts of the Great Powers to mediate; if Austria delayed even an acknowledgment of this proposal until 1st August, taking steps in the meantime that must necessarily precipitate war; and if he will state on what grounds knowledge of these proposals of Great Britain to preserve peace and their rejection by the Central Powers have been withheld from the public, in view of the evidence they afford of the responsibility of Germany and Austria for the outbreak of war?

Mr. HARMSWORTH

On 29th July Sir Edward Grey proposed that it might be possible to bring some mediation into existence if Austria, while saying that she must hold Belgrade and some Serbian territory until she had complete satisfaction from Serbia, stated that she would not advance further pending an effort of the Powers to mediate between her and Russia. This proposal was made to Prince Lichnowsky on 29th July and communicated by him to the German Government; it was also communicated to Sir Edward Goschen and to Sir George Buchanan; it was communicated by the German Government to the, Austrian Government; no answer was received from Austria until 1st August. The whole correspondence dealing with the matter, so far as it was in possession of the British Government, was included in the White Paper which was laid before the House on the outbreak of war on 4th August, 1914, and all available information from other sources was included in the "Collected Diplomatic Documents, relating to the Outbreak of the European War," published by the Stationery Office in 1915. There is no ground, therefore, of any kind for the suggestion that "knowledge of these proposals of Great Britain to preserve peace and their rejection by the Central Powers" have been withheld from the public.