§ 1. Mr. MANDERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the success achieved in the preservation of peace by the presence of an international force in the Saar, he will ask the Council of the League of Nations to consider whether an international force might be organised to occupy temporarily the area in dispute between Italy and Abyssinia in connection with the neutral zone now under discussion?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir John Simon)There is no similarity between the situation that existed in the Saar and that which exists to-day on the undefined border between Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia.
§ Mr. MANDERCan my right hon. Friend say whether the arrangements for the neutral zone have been completed?
§ Sir J. SIMONI am afraid they have not been completed, but the matter is constantly engaging attention.
§ Mr. MANDERIs it intended that the Belgian and Swedish officers referred to should take any part in the neutral zone?
§ Sir J. SIMONThis is not very closely connected with the original question. It 1098 is, of course, not a matter which primarily concerns His Majesty's Government. I understand that some difficulty has arisen as between the Italian and Abyssinian Governments as to whether the Belgian and Swedish advisers should take part.
§ Lieut.-Commander BOWERWould my right hon. Friend be prepared to ask the Council of the League of Nations to consider whether an international force might be organised to occupy temporarily the town of Wolverhampton during the next general election?
§ 4. Captain PETER MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the position with regard to the agreement signed in London between Great Britain, France and Italy in 1906 by which it was agreed to maintain the integrity of Abyssinia, and that no Power should intervene in her affairs without the understanding of the other two?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe agreement between the United Kingdom, France and Italy respecting Abyssinia, signed on the 13th December, 1906, is still in force. Under this agreement, which has been published as Command Paper No. 3298 of 1907, the three Powers agreed to no-operate in maintaining the political and territorial status quo in Ethiopia, as determined by the state of affairs then existing, and by a number of earlier agreements cited in the above-mentioned tripartite treaty.
§ Mr. MANDERHas the attention of the Italian Government been called recently to the terms of this treaty?
§ Sir J. SIMONOh, yes.
§ Captain MACDONALDAre the signatories to the agreement in constant touch at the present time with a view to maintaining the status quo?
§ Sir J. SIMONYes, communications, of course, are passing. It is fair to say that the difficulty is that the frontier between Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland has never been delimited.