§ Sir W. DAVISON(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any statement to make as to the result of his recent interview with the Soviet Ambassador?
§ Mr. EDENYes, Sir. On the 5th December, during my right hon. Friend's absence at Geneva, the Soviet Ambassador called on the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and made an oral communication to the effect that, while the Soviet Government only took responsibility for official communications in the "Izvestia," they desired to state that, with regard to this particular incident, they did not entertain, and had not at any time entertained, the suspicions of my right hon. Friend and of the Foreign Office which were expressed therein. On the contrary, they dissociated themselves from such statements. Monsieur Maisky repeated this declaration to Sir Robert Vansittart on the 9th December, and added that he himself had communicated with the editor of the "Izvestia," who had now replied that he had been misled by one of his correspondents; that he recognised that the statements in question were inaccurate; and that he wished to express his regret for having published 197 them. In these circumstances, His Majesty's Government regard the matter as closed.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIn closing the matter, will some representations be made to the effect that His Majesty's Government are aware that the "Izvestia" is not permitted to publish anything in its columns which is not approved by the Russian Soviet Government?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLWas it worth while raising all this stir for such a result?