§ 39. Captain W. BENNasked the Prime Minister whether he will give the House of Commons an opportunity of debating the Anglo-Russian situation before negotiations are broken off and M. Krassin leaves this country?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am not prepared to give the undertaking asked for in the question.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYAre we to have no say in the matter? Are we to be told nothing at all?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThere has been a considerable quantity of discussion already, and I have no doubt there will be a great deal more.
§ Captain BENNDoes the answer mean that this episode will be closed, unless the House of Commons makes its voice heard?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThat does not depend upon us.
42. Mr. PALMERasked the Prime Minister whether he is satisfied that M. Krassin, the agent of the Soviet Government of Russia, is fulfilling his pledge not to engage in any political action in this country; and whether he is aware that M. Krassin has had interviews with Miss Sylvia Pankhurst, who has been actively employed in propaganda work for the Soviet Government, and that in other ways he has broken the pledge under which His Majesty's Government agreed to enter into commercial negotiations with him?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThere is no reason to believe that M. Krassin has broken his pledge not to engage in any political action in this country.
Mr. PALMERIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the woman referred to in the question is in the pay of Lenin, and that she is endeavouring to disaffect British soldiers, and propagate Bolshevik doctrines?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThat may be true, but we have taken all the means in our power to ascertain whether M. Krassin has broken his pledge not to engage in political action, and the answer I have given is the result.
§ 64. Colonel GRETTONasked the Prime Minister what are the commodities in which M. Krassin proposes to trade as exports from Russia and imports into Russia; and are satisfactory guarantees being given that Russia has wheat, or other food, in any quantity available for export?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIn answer to the first part of the question, M. Krassin proposed to export from Russia the following commodities:—
Timber and timber products, flax, cereals, oil products, bristles, leather and fur goods, manganese ore, etc.
626 He proposes to import:—
Mining gear, machine tools, electric plant, medical appliances and drugs, agricultural machinery, locomotives, railway material, textile goods and appliances, and general merchandise, etc.
In answer to the second part of the question, the quantity of wheat or other food available for export will depend on the date at which trading starts and the speed with which transport is organised.
Sir J. D. REESWill manganese from the Caucasus come under these arrangements? Is the Caucasus still considered part of Russia?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI should like to have notice of that. I do not think it is only from the Caucasus that manganese from Russia comes.
§ Colonel GRETTONAre the Government taking steps to satisfy themselves of the possibility of maintaining trade relations with Russia?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWWe have done our best to find out the facts, but my information is so conflicting that I do not care to make myself responsible for them.
§ 65. Colonel GRETTONasked the Prime Minister if the negotiations with M. Krassin are proceeding and are still strictly confined to trade matters; will he say if the preliminary conditions have been agreed; and, if so, what the conditions are?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNegotiations are still proceeding, but as the Government have come to the conclusion that the time has arrived when a decision should be reached, they have intimated this to M. Krassin who is returning to Russia in order that he may put the conditions of the British Government before the Soviet authorities and be in a position to give a definite answer.
§ Colonel GRETTONCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether these negotiations are confined to trade, or do they extend to political matters?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt is rather difficult to define what is trade and what is politics, but we have made it quite clear that His Majesty's Government will make no trading arrangements until certain conditions have been fulfilled.
§ Mr. RAFFANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Prime Minister stated that he hoped to make a statement on the whole subject to the House in the course of a few days? Shall we have that statement?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWMy right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement when some decision has been come to, and I do not think any object will be gained by a discussion until then.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIs it true that the question of Persia has been raised in these negotiations, and that M. Krassin is returning to Russia partly to deal with that question?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI do not think it would be wise to go into one aspect of the question when we cannot deal with other aspects.
§ Colonel GRETTONWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake that a full statement shall be made to the House before the negotiations are concluded?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI cannot give such an undertaking, in view of the fact that a decision might be arrived at at any moment, or the negotiations might come to an end.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWould it not be as well to have a statement of the views of the British Government on these negotiations, such as would appeal not only to Lenin, but to the whole of the Russian people?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI do not think anything would be gained by propaganda.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYWill you stop propaganda on the other side?