§ 5. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has information concerning the export to Japan within the last six months of large quantities of chemicals by the German chemical industry; what was the amount exported; what was its value; and which are the firms concerned?
§ Sir J. SIMONI am without information regarding the export of chemicals from Germany to Japan.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSDo I understand that the right hon. Member is without information?
§ Sir J. SIMONI am without information. There may be German figures, but they are not known to me.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSAs a member of the League Council, is not the Foreign Secretary in a position to obtain this information?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo, Sir; certainly not as a member of the League Council. I am not aware whether there are official German figures or whether they deal only with the past six months.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSThe Foreign Secretary informed the House last Wednesday that the powers of the Treaty under Clauses 168–170 have been referred to the Council; ought not the Council, therefore, to be in a position to say at any moment just what the output of war material is in Germany?
§ Sir J. SIMONI really cannot give the hon. Member any more information. Speaking off-hand, I should not have thought that the export of chemicals from Germany was a matter with which the League of Nations is concerned.
§ 6. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will obtain information concerning the export of arms, munitions, and other war material from Germany to China and Japan; what is the value and the nature of any such material exported during the past six months and its destinations; and what are the firms which have been concerned?
§ Sir J. SIMONAs I informed the hon. Member on the 16th of March I have no information to show that any war material which may recently have been shipped to China and Japan is of German origin. I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by initiating inquiries on this subject.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSWhat is the value of the alleged safeguards against the export of war material from Germany if the right hon. Member thinks the information is of no value?
§ Mr. SPEAKERMr. Hall-Caine.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSCannot I have an answer to an important question?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member's question is on a matter of opinion.
§ 7. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether China and Japan have now accepted the proposed appointment of a joint commission with neutral members to certify the mutual withdrawal from Shanghai; and, if so, whether he can state the names of the members of this commission?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe terms for the basis of negotiation at Shanghai are, according to my information, under discussion at Shanghai, and I cannot say at present exactly what they will contain; nor can I yet say who will be the members of any International Commission that may be set up for the purpose mentioned.
10. Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the United States Government have published in a White Book their diplomatic correspondence with the Chinese and Japanese Governments since their dispute began; and whether this Government is prepared to publish their correspondence with those two Governments bearing upon the same dispute?
§ Sir J. SIMONI do not think there is any correspondence not already published that could be laid before the House, but I will consider the matter.