§ 51. Major GLYNasked the Lord Privy Seal if the Government have any information as to when Congress is likely to meet and definitely signify whether or not the United States will share in the responsibility for protecting the peoples inhabiting the former Turkish Empire and for assisting them until they can stand alone; whether the Government will state what is the approximate daily cost to this country for maintaining the necessary troops and establishments in the Near East pending the decision of the United States Government on this matter, in view of the statement that the daily cost per head of the Army at the present moment is roughly 16s. 8d. and whether, pending the decision of the United States Government, there is any reasonable hope that, taking into consideration the prominent part played by the President of the United States in the establishment of the League of Nations and the mandatory system, it may he anticipated that part of the cost foe maintaining order in the Near East will be shared by the United States of America?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWAs regards the first part of the question, I have no certain information as to when the American decision 805 on this question may be expected. But while it is the sincere hope of His Majesty's Government that America will co-operate in this task, they and their European Allies are fully alive to the necessity for preparing for the contrary contingency. As regards the second part of the question, the Army of the Black Sea is costing £24,000 a day. This does not, however, include the various substantial commitments in Mesopotamia, Palestine, and Persia. As regards the third part of the question, His Majesty's Government have urged that the expenses of the Armistice period in occupied parts of Turkey may be refunded to the occupying Power by any other Power which may eventually receive the mandate for any of these areas