§ 20. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet received any official information about the trial of the 21 Chinese arrested in the raid on the Russian Legation in Peking, and since executed; and, if so, what this information is?
§ Lieut.-Colonel JAMESOn a point of Order. Should not this question, to be correct, read "raid on the Legation quarter" instead of "raid on the Legation"?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI had not observed that particular point.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINThe following telegram has been received from His Majesty's Minister at Poking:
According to Press reports, 20 Chinese Communists arrested in the Soviet Embassy, 6th April, were condemned to death by a Special Court and executed on 28th April. According to the same information certain others have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.The hon. and gallant Member behind me suggested that these men were not arrested in the Embassy, but within the diplomatic quarters.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDoes the telegram from His Majesty's representative satisfy the right hon. Gentleman that in fact these people were given a fair trial, in the words of the Protocol Powers' communication?
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSWhat was the crime with which these men were charged?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI cannot say with what crime they were charged, nor am I prepared, as a British Minister, to justify the ways of Chinese to Chinese.
Lieut.-Commander KENWOTHYDoes not some responsibility rest upon us, after having given permission for the raid to take place and afterwards making conditions that the men should be properly tried, and what does the right hon. Gentleman propose to do about it?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINNo, I do not consider that any responsibility rests upon us. In common with all the Powers, we concurred in the answer sent by the senior Minister which authorised the raid on these premises, not actually part of the Embassy but premises which were not part of the Embassy, because it was felt that the immunity claimed for the Legation could not be justified if they were used to harbour men who plotted against the local Government.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIn view of the brutal execution of these 21 Communists, 1601 would the right hon. Gentlemen see that in the forthcoming White Paper no names are given away so that people may not be liable to similar treatment?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI do not know to what Paper the hon. and gallant Gentleman refers.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODThe one you just mentioned.
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINThe publication of which I have spoken is a Chinese publication.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODWill the right hon. Gentleman see that when this White Paper is published—
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINWhat White Paper?
§ Colonel WEDGWOODThe one with the Peking documents—all names are kept out of the Paper?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINI have explained that the publication will be a Chinese publication.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODNot in English?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINIt may be in English for all I know, but it is a Chinese publication which is to be made by the Chinese Government in Peking, and I cannot control what they may think fit to publish.