HC Deb 24 July 1929 vol 230 cc1267-8
11. Mr. COCKS

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the House any information regarding the terms of reference of the proposed committee of verification and conciliation; what it is to verify and whom it is to conciliate; and what is the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards it?

Mr. A. HENDERSON

The general object of the proposed committee is to deal with questions which may arise in connection with the observance of the articles of the Treaty of Versailles providing for the demilitarisation of the Rhineland; to verify any allegations which may be put forward of violations of those articles; and to provide machinery for conciliating any conflicts of opinion in regard to such alleged violations. For the rest, I can only refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on the 22nd of July to my right hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Colonel Wedgwood) and my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Wise).

Colonel WEDGWOOD

Has my right hon. Friend seen a leading article in the "Manchester Guardian" this morning; and, secondly, if the Rhineland—

Mr. SPEAKER

A Minister cannot be responsible for what appears in the "Manchester Guardian."

Colonel WEDGWOOD

I put it in that way because I did not want to take up the time of the House in retailing the "Manchester Guardian" article. I thought it would be more interesting—

Mr. SPEAKER

It would be quite out of order to read a leading article.

Mr. COCKS

I presume that in discussing this question at Geneva—the committee of conciliation—the Foreign Minister will not commit the country to any decision without the sanction of this House afterwards?

Mr. HENDERSON

The first part of the supplementary question is inaccurate, because I do not know that the question will be discussed at Geneva. I have been struggling for a fortnight to find a place for the discussion, and I have not got it yet.

Colonel WEDGWOOD

Is it not true that we are not committed on this question? The right hon. Gentleman's reply last week was to that effect.

Mr. HENDERSON

I have not said anything inconsistent with my last reply.