§ 26. Mr. CHARLES ROBERTSasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has considered the fact that the temporary Mixed Armaments Commission of the League of Nations has adopted a Resolution, urging that all States, whether members of the League or not, should be invited to the forthcoming naval conference; and whether the British representative on the Council of the League will be instructed to urge that the invitation to the conference be extended to all States, whether members of the League or not?
§ 61. Mr. J. BUTLERasked the Prime Minister what steps have been taken to summon the naval conference, to be held under the auspices of the League of Nations, for the extension of the principles of the Washington Naval Agreement to other Powers non-signatory thereto; whether the British representative will be instructed to urge at the next meeting of the Council that this conference shall be summoned with the least possible delay; and whether the British representative will be instructed to press for invitations being extended to all naval States not members of the League, including Russia, in accordance with the recommendation made by the Assembly at its last session?
§ Mr. McNEILLI referred in my reply to the hon. Member for Derby (Mr. C. Roberts) on the 21st instant to the decision taken by the League of Nations to summon a naval conference at Geneva shortly after the Pan-American Conference to be held at Santiago on the 25th instant. It would be premature to take any steps for the extension of the principles of the Washington Naval Treaty until that instrument has been ratified by all the original signatories.