§ 4. Colonel GRETTONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the Government of the Irish Free State has deposited the Agreement of 1925 amending the Anglo-Irish Agreement in regard to the boundary between the Free State and Ulster with the League of Nations; and if the British Government has recognised, or proposes to recognise, the juris diction of the League of Nations to arbitrate in this matter?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINWith regard to the first part of the question, I am informed that the Irish Free State Government have issued instructions for this action to be taken. The reply to the second part of the question is in the negative. In this connection, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for North Aberdeen on the 17th December, 1924.
§ Colonel GRETTONWas not the previous agreement between the British Government and the Irish Free State deposited with the League of Nations, and the British Government on that occasion made a caveat that they did not consider that agreement subject to arbitration?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINThat matter was dealt with in the answer to which I invite the hon. and gallant Gentleman to refer I will read the relevant part of it:
His Majesty's Government have in of Nations that in their opinion the terms formed the Secretary-General of the League of Article 18 of the Covenant are not applicable to the articles of agreement for a Treaty between Great Britain and Ireland signed on the 6th December, 1921. The ground for this action was stated in the letter addressed by His Majesty's Government to the Secretary-General was that since the Covenant came into force His Majesty's Government have consistently taken the view that neither it nor any 1899 Conventions concluded under the auspices of the League are intended to govern the relations inter se of the various parts of the British Commonwealth."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th December, 1924; col. 963, Vol. 179.]