§ 27. Viscount CURZONasked the Prime Minister whether the date of The Hague 1407 Conference has yet been fixed; what countries have been invited to take part; and what countries have refused?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI would refer my Noble Friend to the answer which I gave on Monday last in reply to questions on this subject by the hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) and my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Ormsby-Gore).
§ Viscount CURZONDoes that answer state definitely what nations have refused?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have answered this question completely, and my Noble Friend would save himself and others trouble, as also save the time of the House, if he were to inform himself of what has taken place. No country has refused.
§ 34. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Prime Minister the reasons for the non-admittance of German experts to the Conference of Experts to be held at The Hague?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe reasons are set forth in the correspondence printed in Part I, B, of Command Paper No. 1667.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYAre we to understand from that that at no stage of these negotiations will German experts, as apart from the German Government representatives, be admitted to any of the Conferences, however much they affect Germany?
38. Mr. MALONEasked the Prime Minister whether it has been agreed that those States that may be dissatisfied with the results of the preliminary discussions at The Hague on 15th June need not appoint experts for the general meeting of 26th June, but as a consequence cannot prevent it from taking place?
39. Mr. MALONEasked the Prime Minister whether, with a view to facilitating the work of the proposed commissions at The Hague, adequate preparations will be made for a joint secretariat; and whether the time before 15th June 1408 will be utilised in an endeavour to remove some of the more obvious misunderstandings between the conveners of the Conference, so that an agreed and perfectly definite agenda may be before this preliminary meeting of the non-Russian Powers on 15th June?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe President of the Genoa Conference has undertaken to make the necessary arrangements with the Netherlands Government for the assembling of the Commissions at The Hague, which will include secretarial arrangements. The Foreign Office are keeping in touch on these matters. I am not aware of the misunderstandings to which the hon. Member refers; but the object of the preliminary meeting on the 15th June is to enable the non-Russian Powers to have a full exchange of views and to determine the constitution of the non-Russian Commission.