§ 46 and 47. Mr. CLOUGHasked the Prime Minister (1) whether he is now in a position to state whether it is correct that in January, 1919, £1,583,000 was paid to the ex-Kaiser as King of Prussia, in 1232 August, 1919, £802,600, in October, 1919, £701,600, and since that date £1,150,000; whether, if the statement is correct, some steps can be taken to secure for the victims of the ex-Kaiser's policy some assistance from these vast private funds;
(2) whether the attention of the Government has been called to the official admission in the Reichstag that large sums of money amounting already to a great deal more than 100,000,000 marks have already been smuggled out of the country, and that in these illegal proceedings some members of the Hohenzollern family are involved; and whether, seeing that the necessary reparation has not yet been made, the Entente Powers can assist in any way the German Government to prevent this smuggling by the members of the ex-Kaiser's family?
§ Mr. BONAR LAW (Leader of the House)I understand that a sum of some 50,000,000 marks has been paid to the ex-Emperor since January, 1919. The greater part of this sum appears to have been paid in connection with the purchase of a house in Holland and the sale of certain property in Berlin. The attention of the Reparation Commission, who are charged with the execution of the Reparation Clauses of the Treaty, has been drawn to these payments.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Reparations Commissioners have been appointed for the purpose of dealing with that matter. We have drawn their attention to it, and I am sure they will deal with it.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt is not easy to recover money which has been smuggled out of Germany into another country.
§ Mr. G. LAMBERTHave the Allies taken precautions that money like this paid to the ex-Kaiser shall not be used for the purpose of bringing the Hohenzollerns back to Berlin?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Allies do consider it their duty to keep an eye on what is being done in that direction.