§ 35. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign
§ this House when a similar Motion is discussed.
§ Sir WILLIAM DAVISONCan the hon. and learned Member say whether it is not a fact that a Judge earns for the country in fees more than enough to pay his salary?
§ Following is the information:
§ Affairs what instructions have been given to our delegates with regard to the disarmament proposals of the Russian delegates at Geneva?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. G. Locker-Lampson)No notice of the terms of the proposals put forward by the Soviet delegation was given before the opening meeting of the Preparatory Committee, and the British delegation, consequently, left this country without instructions on the subject. The work of the Preparatory Committee at its recent session was limited to setting up the Security Committee, and therefore no discussions took place on the Russian proposals.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDid not the British delegates cable home to report this proposal and to ask for instructions?
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe hon. and gallant Member must remember that the Committee sat for, I think, only four days, and it has been arranged that a Security Committee and a Disarmament Preparatory Committee shall sit within a very few weeks, and I take it that in that case these particular proposals will come under consideration.
§ Mr. DUFF COOPERAre not His Majesty's Government well aware that the sole object of the Russian Government in putting forward these proposals was to bring the whole question of disarmament into ridicule?
§ Mr. THURTLECan the hon. Gentleman give the House an assurance that His Majesty's Government are going to give this proposal the consideration which its importance warrants?
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThat particular point is raised in a later question on the Paper.
§ 50. Mr. JOHNSTONasked the Prime Minister whether he has now received the proposals of the Russian Government regarding universal disarmament; whether the Government is considering these proposals; and if, in view of their importance, he can give an assurance that the British delegates at Geneva will not be authorised to negative them without an opportunity having been afforded for their discussion in the House of Commons?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)Yes, Sir. The text of the Russian declaration corresponds substantially with the telegraphed versions which have appeared in the Press. The Preparatory Committee decided that they could not at their recent session do more than organise the work of the Security Committee which they had been directed to constitute, and the question of sending instructions to the British representative did not therefore arise. The Russian proposals do not appear to have been regarded by the Committee as a practical and helpful contribution to the problem and there would accordingly be no advantage in discussing them in this House.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONCan the Prime Minister state if his opinion on this question is the same as that of Lord Cushendun who disposed of these momentous proposals with the simple statement that they were out of order
§ The PRIME MINISTERI have not seen that statement, but of course, as my hon. Friend said a few minutes ago, it will have to be considered when the Disarmament Conference meets.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYNow that the Prime Minister has the proposals, which we have only seen in the Press, may I ask him whether it is a fact that Russia offered to lead the way in one year if we would follow in four years?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWhen my right hon. Friend returns from Geneva, I shall have all the particulars.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDid not the right hon. Gentleman say in reply to the hon. Member for Dundee, that he had received those proposals?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, we have had no official document of any kind yet in London.