§ 2. Mr. BROMFIELDasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed to send further Entente missions to Vienna to supervise the demobilistion of the Army and Navy; whether five admirals are being sent to supervise the break up of the fleet; whether this fleet now consists of three patrol motor boats; and whether His Majesty's Government will consider the advisability of abstaining from sending out further missions to be kept at Austrian expense, in view of the fact that Austria is already in need of substantial financial help?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and Rear-Admiral Watson is the British representative on the naval commission of control, the other Allied powers being also represented by senior officers. The ex-Austro-Hungarian fleet consists of dreadnought and pre-dread-nought battleships, cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers and submarines; in addition, there is a Danube flotilla of 28 monitors and patrol-boats. His Majesty's Government are fully alive to the necessity for keeping at a minimum the charges on the Austrian Government.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs it not a fact that the whole of these warships are either in the hands of the Jugo Slavs or the Italians and are nothing to do with Austria, which has not even a port?