§ Mr. A. WILLIAMS(by Private Notice) asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the House any information as to the wholesale massacres reported to have been committed recently by the Turks in the Armenian territory occupied by them in the district of Kars and Alexandropol?
Mr. HARMSWORTHHis Majesty's Government have no authoritative information later than 24th December, when it was stated, on Armenian and British authority, that no massacres had occurred and that American relief was continuing. Later news, however, reports from Armenian sources that deportation and murder have occurred, and that the Armenian Government have protested. His Majesty's Government have no information of wholesale massacres.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the hon. Gentleman aware that private individuals can get information in much less time than two months from the Caucasus?
§ Lord R. CECILMay I ask whether we have not a representative at Tiflis, and whether inquiry has been made of him?
Mr. HARMSWORTHI think that at the moment we have not a representative at Tiflis, but I will inform the Noble Lord to-morrow.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSDoes the hon. Gentleman suggest that my information is not correct, when he says that the information is of different values?
§ Sir C. WARNERIs it not the case that some of these massacres which have been reported have been found never to have happened at all?
Mr. HARMSWORTHI hope my hon. Friend (Mr. A. Williams) will not think that I meant any discourtesy to him, but there is grave discrepancy sometimes between information from some sources and that which we get officially.
§ Mr. WATERSONDoes not that apply in the case of Ireland?
§ Lord R. CECILWill the hon. Gentleman really make some inquiry into this matter? If there are no British representatives there, possibly he could get some foreign Government to inquire of its representative?