§ 59. Sir OWEN PHILIPPSasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress His Majesty's representatives in Berlin have made in their efforts to induce the German Government to carry out their obligations under the Peace Treaty by granting emigrant licences to British shipping companies?
Mr. HARMSWORTHAs the result of representations made through His Majesty's Embassy at Berlin, certain British shipping companies have been successful in obtaining licences to embark emigrants at German ports, but the German Government have refused to issue any further licences of this kind, on the ground that they have been refused to certain German steamship companies. The arguments by which the German Government seek to justify this attitude are, in the opinion of His Majesty's Government, unconvincing and largely irrelevant, and His Majesty's Ambassador at Berlin has accordingly been instructed to make further energetic representations to the German Government and to press them to comply unambiguously with the obligations assumed by them under the Treaty of Versailles.
§ Sir O. PHILIPPSIs it not the case that the Treaty is absolutely clear on the subject and that the German Government are bound by the Treaty to grant licences to every British shipping company that desires them?