§ 25. Mr. MORELasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state the composition and destination of the illicit export of armament material from Austria during the last 12 months; if His Majesty's Government regard the export of the large quantities of armament material which has taken place during the past 12 months and is still continuing to Yugo-Slavia, Rumania, and Poland from the Austrian State factories at Vienna arsenal, Wollersdorf, Steyr, Hirtenberg, Endresfeld, and Blumau as illicit or licit; and, if licit, whether, in view of the fact that His Majesty's Government are participants in a loan to Austria, the influence of His Majesty's Government can be exercised in the direction of curtailing this traffic?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs was explained by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in reply to a similar question put by my hon. Friend on the 28th May, I am unable to give exact details as to the exportation of war material from Austria, but His Majesty's Government are aware that such export has taken place on various occasions. By Article 134 of the Treaty of St. Germain, Austria undertakes to forbid the exportation of war material. Such exportation is, therefore, illicit, unless authorised by the Powers represented on the Organ of Liquidation. As has been already explained, this is a question which falls to be dealt with by the Organ of Liquidation by the terms of Article 149 of the Treaty, and they are directing their attention to the curtailment of the. traffic.
§ Mr. MORELHas the Organ of Liquidation with Austria reported as to the very large quantities of arms and ammunition now being exported from Austria?
§ The PRIME MINISTERTo the best of my belief I have not received from the Organ of Liquidation or from our representative upon it anything that would be accurately described as a. Report. The matter has been the subject of communication.
§ The PRIME MINISTERIf the right hon. Gentleman will give me notice of that question, I will answer it.
§ 26. Mr. MORELasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the considerable extension which during the last 12 months, and especially since the beginning of the current year, has been given to the Austrian State armament factories; of the establishment of new private armament factories in Austrian territory and of the volume of the output and destination of the war material produced in the Austrian State factories during the past 12 months; if he has received Reports on the subject from the British representative on the Organ of Liquidation in Austria or from His Majesty's Ambassador in Paris, who is the British representative on the Ambassadors' Conference; and, if not, whether he will ask for them?
§ The PRIME MINISTERMy information is directly to the contrary of that of my hon. Friend. At no time since the coming into force of the Treaty of St. Germain has Austria been allowed to increase her facilities for the manufacture of war material. The single State factory provided for in Article 132 of the Treaty has been set up, but Austria has been permitted to organise this factory in five different sections in five separate places provided that the permitted output of war material is not exceeded. This fact may have produced a misapprehension.
§ Mr. MORELIf I send my right hon. Friend full details m to the export of war materials from Austria in the last 12 months, will he be able to inquire into the matter?