§ 12. Mr. PONSONBYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Rhineland High Commission has received any representations from the German Government with regard to the numbers and disposition of the British garrison now quartered in the Rhineland 's?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir. But both the British High Commissioner and the Foreign Office have received such representations, and every effort has been and is being made to avoid causing any unnecessary inconvenience to the local inhabitants.
§ Mr. PONSONBYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the small town of Konigstein the number of houses requisitioned for married troops is far in excess of what was required for the French troops?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINWill the hon. Gentleman be good enough to look at his main question. There is no reference in it to any particular town. If he wants me to answer about particular places he must please give me notice of his question.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODAs a result of these representations, have any arrange- 2010 ments been come to which would be satisfactory to the people who made the representations?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI do not, think that the relations between the British troops of occupation and the inhabitants have ever been bad. I think that, provided goodwill is shown by the German authorities, there will be no friction between the troops and the inhabitants.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that the Germans would be delighted if all British troops were withdrawn from the Rhineland?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI suppose any nation would desire that its territory should be free from foreign occupying troops. That is quite true, but I do not think the people on whom these troops are billeted, in the present stringency of financial conditions which exists in Germany as elsewhere, always find the presence of a British officer in their house undesirable.