§ 53. Mr. SWANasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that General Denikin's volunteer Army is carrying out a series of pogroms on a large scale in the Ukraine that there have been [...]massacres of Jews, notably at [...] Ekaterinoslav, and Krementchang,[...] 450 General Denikin's troops entered those towns; and whether he will immediately take steps to prevent any more British supplies of munitions or men being sent to help General Denikin's volunteers?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe answer to the first part of the question is that unofficial reports have been received by His Majesty's Government of pogroms in the places mentioned by the hon. Member, but investigation has so far failed to bring to light any information which would tend to substantiate these stories. The second part of the question, therefore, does not arise.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODDoes the hon. Gentleman really think there are no pogroms?
Mr. HARMSWORTHI would respectfully impress on the hon. and gallant Member how extremely undesirable it is to make these unfounded statements.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODHow can the hon. Gentleman call these reports unfounded when they come from Jewish organisations which are in contact with people suffering by the pogrom, and especially as we have no representative there to test the facts of the case?
§ Sir P. MAGNUSWere these pogroms carried out by men in General Denikin's volunteer Army, or by the Bolsheviks? Is there any evidence as to that?
§ Sir S. HOAREWill the hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of sending a political representative to Russia to find out whether these charges are true or not?