§ 12. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Consuls-General there have been in Kashgar since 1918; and whether he is satisfied that the system by which these Consuls are appointed for a maximum term of two years is the best?
Mr. A. HENDERSONSince 1918 there have been five Consuls-General at Kashgar. There is no fixed maximum period of tenure of the appointment.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the present system is very unsatisfactory by which young Indian Army officers are appointed without any knowledge of Turkish, Chinese or Russian, and can he not go back to the old system under which they had to remain there for a large number of years?
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYNo, it is not.
§ 13. Colonel HOWARD-BURYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of British and Russian Consulates in Chinese Turkestan?
Mr. HENDERSONThere is one British Consular establishment in Chinese Turkestan, the Consulate-General at Kashgar. According to the latest information available, there are two Soviet Consulates-General and three Soviet Consulates.
§ Colonel HOWARD-BURYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is a very important province, and should not we be represented in the capital of that province, seeing that the Russians have no less than five Consulates, with 10 to 12 Russians in each?