§ 47. Brigadier-General SPEARSasked the Prime Minister how long it is proposed to maintain the Ambassadors' Conference; and whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government that questions dealt with by it shall, as soon as possible, be handed over to the League of Nations?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI would once again refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hackney North on the 25th February, to which I have nothing to add.
§ Brigadier-General SPEARSIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied with the results?
§ The PRIME MINISTERPerhaps the hon. and gallant Member will proceed to his next question.
§ 48. Brigadier-General SPEARSasked the Prime Minister what questions have been referred to or dealt with by the Conference of Ambassadors during the month of May; and how often this body met during that period?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Ambassadors' Conference met three times during the month of May. The following questions were raised: Military control in Germany, Austria and Hungary; the Memel Convention and establishment of full diplomatic relations between the Allied Governments and Lithuania; the Albanian frontiers; Polish-Czecho-Slovak frontier; Hungarian-Jugo-Slav frontier; the expenses of the German-Czecho-Slovak Boundary Commission; registration with the League of Nations of documents issued by the various boundary commissions; the allowances of members of the German-Polish Boundary Commission; the allowances of members of the Military Control Commission in Germany; disposal of funds derived from the Upper Silesian Plebiscite Commission; sale of German war material in Holland; costs of armies of occupation in Bulgaria; distribution of Anglo-Hungarian rolling stock; the accession of the Dutch Government to the modifications made in the Mannheim Convention by the Treaty of Versailles; organisation of the Inter-Allied Commission at Sofia; repatriation of Ukrainian emigrants: disposal of a powder depot in the occupied territory; rights secured by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg by Article 41 of the Treaty of Versailles; archives of the territory of Eupen and Malmedy: the share of the German Government in the Dansig Bauernbank; claims of certain Allied nationals on the gold owned by German banks and seized in Turkey by the Allied Governments, and similar very interesting subjects.
§ Brigadier-General SPEARSWas anything settled as a result of these discussions?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIn practically every one of these cases a settlement was arrived at.
§ Mr. PRINGLEAre we to understand now that the Prime Minister has revised his view of the usefulness of the Ambassadors' Conference?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNot at all. I stand exactly where I stood in that respect. The Ambassadors' Conference is charged with the winding-up of a variety of small matters that issue from the application of the Treaty of Versailles, and it will be strictly confined to that business.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHY:Are there any of these matters that could not be dealt with just as well by the League of Nations?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWhen the Ambassadors' Conference is wound up, undoubtedly they could be dealt with by the League of Nations.
§ Mr. MORELDid the Prime Minister say that the Conference has dealt with the question of military affairs in Austria?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThey have dealt with the question of military control in Germany, Austria and Hungary. There are certain matters arising out of military control in these countries that have to be reported to the Ambassadors' Conference.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay we take it from the reply of the Prime Minister that no more great questions will be referred to the Ambassadors' Conference?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI do not say that. I said that no great questions of an independent character have been referred to it. Questions referred to the Ambassadors' Conference have all arisen out of the practical working of the Treaty of Versailles. They all arise owing to the unsettlement of affairs left by the Treaty of Versailles.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINIs it not a fact that this Conference has done extremely useful work?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIt has.