§ 5. Sir R. THOMASasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, seeing that a large number of members of the League of Nations have now signed, ratified, or acceded to the Slavery Convention, he will consider the advisability of raising again during the Assembly next September the proposal of His Majesty's Government that slave-trading on the high seas should be treated as piracy or, alternatively, that the appropriate commission should be asked to consider whether the time is ripe to take further action under Article 3 of the Convention, in order that an effective international instrument may be created for dealing with slave traffic on the high seas?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONIt is doubtful whether any useful purpose would be served by repeating the proposal of His Majesty's Government that slave-trading 1114 on the high seas should be treated as piracy, in view of the opposition which the suggestion previously encountered. The suggestion contained in the second portion of the hon. Member's question will be carefully considered before the next Assembly of the League.