35. Mr. ALFRED DAVIES (Clitheroe)asked the Prime Minister whether the independence of Georgia has been recognised de facto by the British Government; whether the Georgian Government which obtained this recognition was overthrown by the military forces of the Russian Soviet Government; whether the late Government of Georgia has applied for admission to the International Conference of Genoa; whether this admission has been refused; and whether the British Government will endeavour to bring about a solution of the Georgian question at the Genoa Conference on the basis of the withdrawal of the Russian army of occupation and the freely expressed wishes of the Georgian people?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe Georgian Republic was accorded de facto recognition in January, 1920; in March, 1921, Bolshevik Armenian and Russian troops invaded Georgia, which accepted the Soviet form of Government; all applications for admission to the Genoa Conference from persons purporting to represent the Georgian Republic have been refused, as it has been decided to limit representation at the Conference to European States. In reply to the last part of the question, I can only state that it has been the consistent policy of His Majesty's Government not to interfere in the internal politics of the Russian Border States.
§ Mr. T. P. O'CONNORIs it not in the information of the Foreign Office that this 553 Georgian Government has been imposed upon Georgia entirely in contradiction to the overwhelming majority opinion?