§ 43. Mr. BUXTONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, having regard to the fact that should fresh trouble arise in Albania the representatives of France, Great Britain, and Germany will be available to carry out an immediate inquiry, he will recommend that such an inquiry be undertaken with the authority of the Council of the League of Nations, in accordance with Article XI of the Covenant and following the precedent set by the Rumbold Commission?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Godfrey Locker-Lampson)The case of the Rumbold Commission is hardly in point. In that case grave incidents had already occurred which had caused one of the parties to appeal to the League. In this case no such incident has occurred and no appeal to the League has been necessary, nor does my right hon. Friend anticipate that such an inquiry will ever be necessary. He regards the provision made as a measure of precaution intended only to facilitate the undisturbed conduct of the conversations between the parties. For this purpose, and in a matter when speed would be essential it seems far better that, if any incident should unexpectedly arise, inquiries should be made into it by machinery already devised or to which all parties have already agreed.
§ Mr. BUXTONDoes not the hon. Member think that in a case of emergency the machinery of the League provides a more durable means of settlement than an ad hoc body?
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONI do not know about durability, but there is no doubt whatever that the means referred to in this question would be more expeditious.
§ 44. Mr. BUXTONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that the commitments of 575 the signatories to the Resolution of the Ambassadors' Conference of 1921 relating to Albania are officially held to be not inconsistent with their obligations as members of the League of Nations, he will indicate the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards the provision in the Resolution which binds the signatories to ask for Italy's intervention in Albania even although the Council of the League decides that there is no case for action?
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe right hon. Gentleman would appear to have misread the Resolution of the Ambassadors' Conference of 1921. Article 4, to which he presumably refers, states that in the event of the Council of the League deciding by a majority that there is no case for intervention on its part, the signatory Governments will examine the question afresh, basing themselves on the principle that any modification of the frontiers of Albania would constitute a danger to the strategic security of Italy.
§ Captain GARRO-JONESMay I ask if that Resolution authorises the signatories to invoke the aid of Italy to suppress internal political trouble in Albania as does the Italo-Albanian Treaty?
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONNo.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODArising out of the reply about our interfering in affairs in Italy and elsewhere, it all means money, and where does the money come from for us to interfere, when we have nothing for our own fellow citizens in the Highlands of Scotland?
§ 47. Mr. BUXTONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the decision that His Majesty's military attaché at Belgrade should take part in an inquiry into the Albano-Yugoslav situation was based on any complaints addressed directly by the Albanian Government to the Yugoslav Government during the past three months as to the concentration of troops, or the taking of military measures, in Yugoslav territory, in the neighbourhood of the Albanian frontier; and whether the Albanian Government has made any statement to the League of Nations to the effect that it was in danger of invasion?
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONNo, Sir. I am not aware of any representations having been addressed by the Albanian 576 Government either to the Yugoslav Government or the League of Nations on this subject. Nor has any inquiry into the Albano-Yugoslav situation been decided upon. All that has occurred is that the British military attaché at Belgrade has been made available in the event of a situation arising in the future which would render an inquiry on the Yugoslav-Albanian frontier desirable.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODWhat are we doing with a military attaché at Belgrade?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat should be asked on the Estimates.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODSurely, I have a right to ask that question? I want to know.
§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe hon. Member may not be aware that it is customary to have a miltary attaché at all the legations.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODI want a different answer from that. The custom, like many other customs, may be a very foolish one. Is it nothing but simply a matter of tradition that we send someone there to give him a good job?