§ 4. Mr. MORELasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if at the end of last year the Conference of Ambassadors, at the request of the 385 Austrian Government transmitted through the Inter-Allied Commission of Control, granted permission to the Austrian Government to make a considerable extension of its already-existing armament factories; and, if so, whether His Majesty's Government were apprised of the fact and approved of it?
§ Mr. PONSONBYThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative and the second part does not therefore arise.
§ Mr. PONSONBYThe Government have no information on the subject asked for in the question.
§ 5. Mr. MORELasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if His Majesty's Government are aware that the Austrian armament industry has been, during the past 12 months, and still is, supplying quantities of war material to certain of the smaller European States, including, in 1923, 1,000,000 Mauser rifles to Yugo-Slavia, manufactured at the Steyr works, and, between February and 20th April of this year, 116 wagon-loads of infantry ammunition to the same State, produced by the Blumau and Hirtenberg works; and 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?
§ Mr. PONSONBYI am unable to confirm the figures given in the first Part of the question, but am aware that the illicit export of war material from Austria has taken place on various occasions. This matter is being carefully watched by the Organ of Liquidation in Austria, which is the successor of the Inter-Allied Military Commission appointed to supervise the execution of Part V of the Treaty of St. Germain, and the activities of the British member of the Organ are constantly directed to the curtailment of this traffic.