§ 49. Mr. RHYS DAVIESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the leadership of the revolt in Chinese Turkestan has been offered to a British subject; whether he has any reports from the British Consul-General at Kashgar on this matter; what is the present position of the revolt; and whether the British Consul-General at Kashgar is offering shelter to the refugees who have been dispersed in that part of the country?
§ Sir J. SIMONAs regards the first and second parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday to my hon. and gallant Friend, the Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Captain Heilgers) and to my Noble Friend, the Member for Central Bristol (Lord Apsley). According to my latest information from Kashgar, after a period of prolonged fighting and unrest, a former Chinese official on the 12th February resumed full authority over the district in the name of the Chinese Republic. I have no information regarding developments in Eastern Sinkiang. I am not aware that His Majesty's Consul-General at Kashgar has been offering shelter to refugees, and I am confident that he would not act in any way inconsistent with his neutral position.