§ 2. Captain ERSKINE-BOLSTasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the provisions of the Argentine railway pensions law so far as they concern the numerous British employes on Argentine railways; and whether, in view of the fact that the pensions payable to these employés will be reduced by two-thirds if they leave the Argentine, he will make a protest in the matter?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir John Simon)I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chippenham (Captain Cazalet) on the 9th November.
§ 4. Mr. POTTERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the arrangements by which the Argentine authorities pay to the railways working in Argentina with British capital all overdue debts owing to them by the national and provincial Governments for freight and other charges; and whether the Argentine Government bonds, issued to the railway companies as a solution of the frozen exchange difficulty, discharge also the debt for unpaid freight in full, and to what date?
§ Sir J. SIMONAs was stated in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Mem- 898 ber for Portsmouth, North (Sir B. Falle) on the 25th July last, the amounts falling due, from time to time, to the British railway companies from the Argentine national and provincial Governments are by way of current account for freights and charges, and are discharged, also from time to time, in the normal way. I am informed that very considerable payments have in fact been made during recent months. There is no direct connection between this matter and the scheme whereby sterling bonds are being issued by the Argentine Government in exchange for peso balances, except in so far as this scheme has been of benefit to all holders of peso balances awaiting remittance to this country on the 1st May last.
§ 7. Mr. SAVERYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the attention of the Argentine representatives at the commercial conference was drawn to the disinclination of British investors to venture further capital for the development of Argentina in view of the opposition by the Argentine Government railway lines to the railways operating with British capital under concessions from the Argentine Government; and will he make further representations on the subject to the Argentine Government in view of their decision to construct an alternative line to Mendoza?
§ 9. Mr. BROCKLEBANKasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will request the Argentine Ambassador in London to represent to his Government that the action of the Argentine Government lines serving Santa Fe relative to the freight tariff between Mendoza and San Juan and Buenos Ayres injures the existing local railway system, long operated by British capital, and to request that it may be modified in the interest of British investors?
§ Sir J. SIMONIt will be recalled that in the Protocol attached to the Anglo-Argentine Convention of the 1st May last, the Argentine Government declared their intention to accord such benevolent treatment, so far as lies within their constitutional sphere of action, to public utility and other undertakings carrying on business in Argentina with the aid of British capital, as may conduce to the further 899 economic development of the country and to the due and legitimate protection of the interests concerned in their operation. Having regard to the terms of this declaration, His Majesty's Government would be prepared to consider any specific claim for assistance which may be brought to their notice by the interested party, and to make suitable representations whenever it appears, from the nature of any particular case, that such a course could usefully be taken.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSWhy should we interfere with the Argentine Government in any way?
§ Mr. LOUIS SMITHIs the right hon. Gentleman in close touch with his right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in regard to this matter, so that before any new agreement is made these unfavourable developments will be taken into consideration?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe Government in all these matters act together.