§ 1. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the claim put forward by the Secretary of State in respect of Mrs. Stan Harding in respect of her imprisonment for five months by the Russian, Soviet Government on a false charge has yet been dealt with at The Hague; whether any other British citizen except Mrs. Stan Harding went to Russia on a safe-conduct from the Soviet Government and was then cast into prison; whether he is aware that M. Litvinoff, the chief Russian delegate at The Hague, was the person who signed Mrs. Stan Harding's safe-conduct; and whether, under these circumstances, special representations will be made to M. Litvinoff for the prompt settlement of Mrs. Stan Harding's claim?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Cecil Harmsworth)The answer to the first and second parts of the question is in the negative. As regards the third and fourth parts, the information in possession of His Majesty's Government is to the effect that M. Litvinoff gave Mrs. Stan Harding a letter to Monsieur Gukovsky, head of the Soviet Government Mission at Reval. M. Litvinoff, however, avers that he attempted to dissuade her from proceeding to Russia. There would, therefore, hardly appear to be anything in M. Litvinoff's presence at The Hague, apart from other considerations, to enhance the probability of a successful and early settlement by the means of special representations to him on the subject. The British delegation at The Hague consists of business experts at a business conference, and it seems unlikely that the negotiations can properly develop on lines which would render possible the discussion of political as distinct from commercial claims. Should such a contingency, however, arise, the case would, as already stated in my reply to the hon. Member on 28th June, be put forward with the claims of other British subjects. In the meanwhile, therefore, much as His Majesty's Government deplore the circumstances of the 1197 case and much as they sympathise with Mrs. Stan Harding, their only recourse remains such channel of diplomatic communications as is open to them under the Trade Agreement.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this has been delayed for one reason and another at Genoa and then recently at. The Hague, and this poor lady is getting no satisfaction? Has not the time arrived to inform the Soviet representatives that the British Government will not go into trade matters with them until they have settled these personal claims?
§ Mr. HARMSWORTHI am, perhaps, better aware than other Members of the delay, and deplore it as much as anyone. Everything has been done that can be done.
§ Sir HARRY BRITTAINIs there anyone in Russia to whom these claims can be referred?
§ Mr. HARMSWORTHYes.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINMonths ago the Foreign Office promised to do all they could, but nothing has been done.
§ Mr. HARMSWORTHEverything possible has been done.