PROPAGANDA. (Hansard, 22 January 1930)

§ 4. Mr. ALBERY
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now satisfied that the Soviet Ambassador and Soviet Government put the same interpretation as His Majesty's Government on the mutual agreement concerning propaganda; and if there has been, as a result, any definite improvement in this respect?

Mr. A. HENDERSON
With regard to the first part of the question I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for South Kensington (Sir W. Davison) on the 23rd December. With regard to the second part of the question, it is too early as yet to form any conclusion as to the definite effect of the agreement concluded about propaganda.
I should, however, add that, although His Majesty's Government are not without hope that the agreement recently entered into will result in a permanent improvement, a message from the Third 188 International, which appeared in a daily paper on the 1st January, led me to inform the Soviet Ambassador that such action was calculated to impede that improvement in the relations, between the two countries which the impending negotiations had as their object. For the present His Majesty's Government do not propose to take further action.

§ Mr. ALBERY
Can the right hon. Gentleman say what connection there is between the Third International and the "Daily Worker"?

Mr. HENDERSON
I am afraid I cannot.

§ Sir WILLIAM DAVISON
Can the right hon. Gentleman state whether the Soviet Ambassador agreed with the suggestion made by him that they were responsible for the activities of the Comintern, as shown in the periodical which he quotes?

Mr. HENDERSON
No, I have not asked him that question.

§ Mr. MARJORIBANKS
Has any answer been given on behalf of the Soviet Government to the right hon. Gentleman's stern reprimand?

Mr. HENDERSON
No; I did not give a stern reprimand.

§ Captain CROOKSHANK
Was there any answer?

§ Sir W. DAVISON
May we know if any answer was given?

§ Mr. KIRKWOOD
How many supplementaries is the hon. Member to get?

§ 41. Captain CROOKSHANK
asked the Prime Minister whether the Dominions have expressed satisfaction with the declarations regarding propaganda in their territories made by the Soviet Government?

§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Mr. Lunn)
I have been asked to reply. The notes exchanged with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics regarding the applicability to the Dominions of the undertakings in respect of propaganda were framed after consultation with His Majesty's Governments in the Dominions.

§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGE
Will the hon. Gentleman arrange to have this correspondence published?

§ Mr. LUNN
That question has been put on a number of occasions and the answer was given on 6th, 11th and 19th November. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman looks in the records, he will find that we have no intention of publishing the correspondence.

§ Captain CROOKSHANK
Can the hon. Gentleman, when he says that this was done after consultation, say whether the Dominions approved of it or not?

§ Mr. LUNN
The Dominion Governments were not asked to express satisfaction or otherwise.

HON. MEMBERS
Did they?

§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGE
Does the hon. Gentleman approve of secret diplomacy?