§ 35. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is with the concurrence of His Majesty's Government that conscription is being adopted for raising the armed forces in Iraq?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREConscription has not yet been adopted in Iraq. The attitude of His Majesty's Government on this question was explained in the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member's question on the subject on the 25th of July last. I have nothing to add to that reply.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIn view of the recent Treaty, is His Majesty's Government still advising 209 against conscription for a country that hopes to become a member of the League of Nations?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThat is a hypothetical question. Whether the Iraq Government wish to go on with conscription or not is a matter that must first be discussed and decided by the Cabinet of Iraq, and we shall not be called upon to intervene until they have put forward proposals, which they have not done.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Foreign Secretary in his speech last week complained that we were trying to induce other countries to abolish conscription and had failed; what justification is there for this attitude?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThe attitude of the Government is quite clear. Really, this is primarily a matter for the Iraq Government, and before we could offer any advice or bring anything to the notice of the Iraq Government under the terms of the Treaty something definite must come up; at present it is quite academic.