§ 76. Mr. RONALD McNEILLasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the repeated assurances given by His Majesty's Government that the Montenegrin people should have an opportunity of freely deciding their own political future, whether he can give any information as to what steps are being taken to afford such an opportunity at an early date; and whether, in view of the fact that Montenegro is still recognised by all the Allied Powers as an independent sovereign state, the method by which the decision of the Montenegrin people is to be ascertained will secure that there shall be no interference, civil or military, by any other state with the free expression of the national desire of Montenegro?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe elections for the Constituent Assembly are to be held in Montenegro during the present month, and His Majesty's Government are taking steps to secure that they are placed in possession of independent and reliable evidence as to the conduct of these elections. The future attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the question will depend upon the result of the elections, and on whether they are satisfied that those results duly represent the wishes of the majority of the Montenegrin people.
§ Mr. McNEILLIn view of the fact that some representatives of the Government in the recent past have been strong partisans of Serbia, will the hon. Gentleman undertake to give this House the information?
Mr. HARMSWORTHI cannot assent to the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, but I will endeavour to satisfy him as to the second part.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYHad not we better put our own house in order before interfering with Montenegro and Serbia?
§ 77. Mr. McNEILLasked the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will say why His Majesty's Government has refused to appoint a successor to Sir George Grahame as diplomatic representative of Great Britain in relation to Montenegrin affairs; whether this refusal marks any change in the policy of the Government towards Montenegro; whether the King of Montenegro is still recognised as a friendly sovereign and head of an independent State in alliance with Great Britain; and if he will say through what channels, since the departure of Sir George Grahame from Paris, His Majesty's Government conducts its relations with the Government of Montenegro and receives official information regarding affairs in that country?
Mr. HARMSWORTHAs regards the first part of the question, Mis Majesty's Government have not felt justified in appointing a diplomatic representative to a Court and Government who are not resident in their country and whose representative character has been called in doubt. The reply to the second part is in the negative. As regards the third part, His Majesty's Government must adopt a 1183 non-committal attitude pending the results of the Montenegrin elections. As regards the last part of the question, the Secretary of State is consantly receiving direct communications from the Ministers of King Nicholas, whose information, however, owing to their absence from the country, is necessarily second-hand.
§ Mr. McNEILLAs the hon. Gentleman says that His Majesty's Government cannot have diplomatic relations with a Government in exile, may I ask whether that was not done the whole time that the King and the Government of Belgium were exiled in France; and, under those circumstances, is this not a mere pretext?
§ Mr. MACQUISTENWas not a man sent, and why were we not informed of the result?