§ 6. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with regard to the League of Nation's proposal to guarantee a £5,000,000 loan to Bulgaria, whether His Majesty's Government has to guarantee 1890 any part of this loan; and whether, before British credit is pledged, he will satisfy himself that the political prisoners in Bulgaria are amnestied and the political rights of the people restored?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe hon. and gallant Member seems to have misunderstood the proposal. There is no question of pledging British credit. As the Bulgarian Government are anxious to raise a foreign Loan under the auspices of the League of Nations, the Financial Committee of the League has for some time past been in communication with the Bulgarian Government with regard to the security they would be prepared to offer, and generally as to the manner in which the loan would be administered and spent. The Financial Committee submitted to the Council of the. League at its recent meeting an agreed scheme on these matters, which the Council has approved. This scheme, which will be eventually published in the League of Nations Journal, does not involve any guarantee either by the League as a whole or by His Majesty's Government in particular.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWho does guarantee this loan, or is it simply on the credit of the Bulgarian Government?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYThen what has the League of Nations to do with it?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe League was asked to help with advice, and I understand that the administration of the loan will be carried out by League Commissioners at Sofia, who will act as trustees appointed by the League to protect the rights of the bondholders. But there is no guarantee.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODCan we be certain that, the British Government, through the League of Nations, will give no countenance to this loan without stipulating that there shall be an amnesty for those people who have been in gaol now for so long?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONReally, there is absolutely no connection whatsoever between the loan and what, after 1891 all, is a purely internal matter for the Bulgarian Government. As a matter of fact, during the last few years there have been very large amnesties, and I understand that at the present moment the only persons incarcerated on political charges are those charged with homicide and personal violence.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs the hon. Gentleman not aware that they still have concentration camps where these people are segregated without trial?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONI have already said that during the last few years, ever since the present Bulgarian Government came into power, there have been periodical amnesties.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the hon. Gentleman aware that at the present time 800 political prisoners are incarcerated in Bulgaria, and that 3,000 are refugees abroad?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONAs I have already pointed out, really this is an internal matter for Bulgaria and has nothing whatever to do with the loan.
§ Mr. MACLEANIf this is purely an internal matter, why is the League of Nations considering the matter of appointing a trustee to see that ample security is offered to the nations of those subscribing to this loan?
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot debate the matter now.