§ 20. Sir WILLIAM DAVISONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has given further considera- 2255 tion to the case of Mr. C. H. Bucknall, a British subject now residing in South Kensington, whose property to the value of over £50,000, consisting of cash and jewels, was deposited at the British Embassy in Petrograd in 1918 and placed at the disposal of the British Government at the request of Mr. A. W. Woodhouse, the British Consul in charge of the Embassy, who was authorised to sell or dispose of any of the said jewels at his discretion for British Government purposes, the said property being deposited in a locked bag belonging to the British Consul and endorsed with the British Consul's name; whether he is aware that, notwithstanding this fact and also the fact that the British Embassy was under the official protection of the Netherlands Government, the property in question was stolen when the Embassy was raided by officials of the Soviet Government; and what action the British Government propose to take to compensate Mr. Bucknall for the serious loss he has sustained?
§ The LORD PRIVY SEAL (Mr. Eden)My right hon. Friend has given full consideration to this case, which concerns a claim by a British subject for compensation for property (the value of which has not been officialy estimated) voluntarily deposited by him for safe custody with His Majesty's Consul at Petrograd, and removed from His Majesty's Embassy in that city, together with a large amount of property belonging to His Majesty's Government, in a raid carried out by persons purporting to be agents of the Soviet Government. The loss of His Majesty's Government's property at that time has been entered as a governmental claim against the Soviet Government, while Mr. Bucknall's losses have been similarly entered as a private claim; and, as Mr. Bucknall has repeatedly been informed, there seems no reason for treating his claim differently from those of other British subjects who suffered losses at the time of the Russian revolution.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIs my right hon. Friend aware that I hold in my hand at this moment a letter from Mr. Woodhouse, the British Consul in Petrograd, confirming the statement made in my question, that this property was at his request handed to him for the purposes of the British Government, and that he—Mr. Woodhouse—and the other officials 2256 intended, if occasion so required, to make use of that property?
§ Mr. EDENIf my hon. Friend has any further information, I should like to see it. I have given him the information that I have.
§ Sir W. DAVISONIs my right hon. Friend aware that I made this statement, after full inquiries, in a letter which I sent to the Foreign Secretary; and is he aware that a claim of this kind is different from other claims, considering that the property was stolen from the British Embassy—that it was in a bag in the name of the British Consul, and was taken from the British premises?
§ Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXArising out of the original reply, may I ask whether it is not the fact that property of members of the British Embassy which was looted at the same time in Petrograd has been partially given back to members of the British Embassy; and could not the Government make some restoration to this gentleman, in view of his enormous loss?
§ Mr. EDENIt is a very small part, and an easily recognisable part, of the British Government's property that has been restored; the greater part has not. This claim is in the same position as others.
§ Sir W. DAVISONI beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment to-morrow.