§ 52. Sir W. DAVISONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that paragraph 13 of the Trade Agreement between His Britannic Majesty's Government and the Government of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic expressly provides that, in the event of the infringement of the provisions of the agreement or the conditions in the preamble to the same by either party, the other party shall immediately be free from the obligations of the agreement, and seeing that the British Government have publicly stated that the terms of the agreement have been repeatedly broken by the Soviet Government, he will take immediate steps to release British citizens from the disabilities under which they now suffer by reason of the agreement in being prevented from suing in the Courts of this country Russian trading companies established under the agreement, who are selling in Great Britain property which has been forcibly appropriated from British nationals without any compensation being paid therefor?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINMy hon. Friend is under a misapprehension in thinking that the abrogation of the Trade Agreement would achieve the object which he has in view. He will find the law stated in the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case Luther v. Sagor in1921.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIs my right hon. Friend not aware that it is the fact that international status is given to these companies by reason of the Trade Agreement that has prevented British citizens from suing in the Courts of this country for property belonging to them which has been taken without compensation?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir. My hon. Friend is under a misapprehension.