§ 51. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Prime Minister whether he can make any report on the conference at Paris on the Near Eastern situation; whether the Treaty of Sèvres has been or will be revised; whether the Angora Government has been or will be recognised as the result of this conference; when a statement will be made to the House and an opportunity given for a discussion on these subjects; and whether the Greeks and/or Turks have accepted the armistice proposed by the Allies?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINA full statement of the conclusions of the Conference at Paris and of the reasons for their proposals has appeared in the Press this morning. The Greek Government has accepted the armistice. There has not yet been time to receive a reply from the Turks.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYMay I have an answer to the third part of my question, as to opportunities for discussion?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs at present advised I do not think there is any necessity for me to add anything, or that I could usefully add anything to the full statement in the Press.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think it very wrong that we should always be referred to the newspapers and not be given an opportunity for debate on these policies?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe Allied Ministers meeting in Paris issued the statement, which was approved by them in consequence, to the Press of all their countries. If the House of Commons desires what has already appeared in the Press to be presented as a White Paper, of course I will arrange it, but I hope they will not regard it as an act of disrespect on the part of the Government that they concurred in a publication which was addressed to all the nations interested.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYHow are we to discuss what appears only in the Press?
§ Sir D. MACLEANWill the right hon. Gentleman issue a White Paper? I think it very desirable that it should be issued.
Mr. CHAMBERLAINYes. When the right hon. Gentleman asks for it, I could not resist the claim, though I am surprised that so keen an advocate of economy should suggest it.
§ Major-General SEELYHas it not always been the custom hitherto to issue such statements to this House first, and to the Press afterwards; and what is the reason for this new departure?
§ Major-General SEELYIt has.
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIf my hon. and gallant Friend wishes to give me information, and is not seeking it, perhaps I had better sit down. I was going to say it has not been the custom hitherto, with possibly rare exceptions—I am not sure that there is any precedent—for Ministers meeting in conference to issue a statement of this kind at all.
§ Lord R. CECILBefore the War, was there not an absolute rule, and a rule which this House was exceedingly tenacious of having preserved, that nothing should appear in the Press of this kind which had not been communicated to the House?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI should doubt very much, if my Noble Friend turns up the records of the Berlin Conference, that he will find every decision of the Berlin Conference was communicated to the House before it was published officially by the Conference itself.