§ 76. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the alleged arrest and confiscation of the property of a certain Zeki Bey Kharsa, an Arab, of Damascus, on the charge of having incited the Turkish Government to deport an Armenian carpet merchant; whether this Arab was, as alleged, sentenced by the British Consul without any proof being brought forward and was denied the right of trial before a proper court and the assistance of a lawyer; and whether His Majesty's Government will make inquiry into the allegation in view of the use that is being made of the story in France?
Mr. HARMSWORTHA letter was received at the Foreign Office on the 22nd March relative to the alleged arrest and confiscation of the property of Zeki Bey Karsa by a British authority at Smyrna. A despatch has been sent to the High Commissioner at Constantinople requesting him to report on the facts of the case, and his reply is awaited.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this story, and stories like it, are being used against us in France, and will he take steps to have the reports from Constantinople circulated both to the House and in the Press in order to show that the British Government are not carrying on an anti-Turkish campaign.