§ 2. Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Reparations Commission has demanded the surrender of 810,000 milch cows from Germany; whether there is any shortage of milk in Belgium or France; whether approximately 500,000 children in Germany are being fed by the American missions; whether there is a shortage of milch cows in Germany due to slaughtering of cattle during the War and lack of cattle foods; and whether cows for Belgium and France could be obtained from cattle-exporting countries?
Mr. HARMSWORTHAs regards the first part of the question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Gentleman to my reply of to-day to a similar question by the hon. Member for West Leyton (Mr. Newbould)—
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYOn a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. Is the hon. Gentleman in order in referring me to a reply to a question lower down on the Paper. Am I not entitled to have to answer to my own question?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not know why the hon. Member for West Leyton is singled out as the recipient of the information. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman (Mr. Harms-worth) has some explanation?
Mr. HARMSWORTHI think it is only due to a clerical error in the office. Numbers, too, on the Blue Paper that is circulated, are not always the same as the numbers on the White Paper that we get. I can assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that no discourtesy whatever was intended.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYOh no! Then can I have the answer to my question?
Mr. HARMSWORTHI understand that there is a considerable shortage of milk in France; but no serious shortage is reported from Belgium. I have no official information as to the activities of the American Mission. The answer to the fourth part of the question is in the affirmative. The number of cattle in Germany on 1st December, 1913, was 20,994,000, on 1st March, 1919, 15,882,000, and on 1st June, 1920, just under 17,000,000. The decrease was due to excessive slaughtering during the War owing to shortage of fodder and the need for increasing meat supplies. It should be observed that in France during the period 1914–1919 the number of cattle fell from a total of 14,787,000 to a total of 12,373,000.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYCan the hon. Gentleman assure me that the attitude of His Majesty's Government is, that while the necessary cows for France shall be extracted at all costs from Germany, that the policy pursued will not be any deliberate attempt to weaken the German nation in its development?
Mr. HARMSWORTHI have just replied that the Reparation Commission have some discretion in that matter, and I have every belief that they are exercising it.
Captain LOSEBYIs there not a short age of milch cows right throughout Europe, and if that is so, was it not causnd in the first instance by the German atrocities supported by the German people?
Mr HARMSWORTHNo doubt the shortage of milch cows in France is very largely due to the desolation caused by the German armies.
5. Mr. NEWBOULDasked the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can state how many head of livestock have been handed by Germany to France and Belgium under the Treaty of Versailles; whether Germany has delivered 72.5 per cent, of the number originally demanded and is continuing delivery of the remainder as fast as circumstances will permit; and whether the Reparation Commission has now made a further demand for a large number of cows from Germany, and, if so, how many?
Mr. HARMSWORTHUnder paragraph 6 of Annex IV. of Part VIII. of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany undertook to deliver 184,000 head of cattle in equal monthly instalments in the three months following the coming into force of the Treaty. Up to the 2nth ultimo; i.e., in a period of more than nine months, the total number delivered amounted to 133,321, or 724 per cent, of the total requirement. The delivery of the remainder is continuing. I understand that no orders for the delivery of further cattle have been issued to Germany by the Reparation Commission, but that the Allied and Associated Governments interested have filed with the Reparation Commission demands for a large number of cattle in accordance with the procedure laid down in paragraph 2 of the same annex. I understand further that the Reparation Commission has addressed a communication to the German Government inquiring within what period that Government will be able to satisfy these demands. If the hon. Member will refer to paragraph 4 of the annex he will observe that in reaching a decision on the demands filed with them, the Commission are to take into account, inter alin, such domestic requirements in Germany as it deems essential for the maintenance of Germany's social and economic life.