§ 12. Mr. A. HENDERSONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, seeing that the Italian Government has refused to participate in the Montreaux Conference because of the continuance of the arrangements for mutual aid made between His Majesty's Government and France, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Turkey, he will say what steps His Majesty's Government proposes to take to obviate the difficulty of reaching an agreement between the Powers caused by the absence of Italy?
§ Mr. EDENI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on Monday last by the Prime Minister to a similar question asked by the hon. and gallant Member for Nuneaton (Lieut.-Commander Fletcher) to which I have nothing to add.
§ Mr. HENDERSONIs it not the fact that any agreement which might be arrived at between the Powers represented at the present conference would not have any binding effect upon our Government?
§ Lieut.-Commander FLETCHERHas the attention of the right hon. Gentleman been called to the statement of the "Times" correspondent at Montreaux, that the absence of Italy is exercising a dominating influence over the conference?
§ 17. Mr. LIDDALLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the reasons for the decision to accept the remilitarisation of the Dardanelles, having regard to the past attitude of British Governments, as shown by the efforts to defend the freedom of the Straits in the autumn of 1922 by the Coalition Government and the terms of the Lausanne Treaty made by the Conservative Government of 1923?
§ Mr. EDENThe request of the Turkish Government is still the subject of negotiation. My hon. Friend will, I am sure, realise that I am not in a position to make a statement at present.
§ 18. Mr. H. G. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, having regard to the fact that under the provisions of the agreement signed at Mudania on 11th October, 1922, the cession of the Eastern Thrace 2024 and Adrianople to Turkey was on condition that Turkey guaranteed the freedom of the Dardanelles, he will state what adjustments Turkey has been asked to make in return for our consent to the refortification of the Dardanelles?
§ Mr. EDENThe Military Convention signed at Mudania on 11th October, 1922, stipulated that pending the conclusion of a treaty of peace, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, while taking over the civil administration of Eastern Thrace and Adrianople, would refrain from maintaining troops or constructing fortifications on those areas, or in the areas immediately adjacent to the Asiatic shores of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus. The Convention ceased to have effect upon the final evacuation of Turkish territory by the allied troops as a result of the various instruments signed at Lausanne on 24th July, 1923, and thus has no connection with the present issue.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs it not the case that the Treaty of Lausanne contains a great many provisions which were regarded the one as balancing the other, and in those circumstances, if one is altered should not the others be altered at the same time?
§ Mr. EDENMy answer tried to show that the arrangement to which my hon. Friend referred was only intended to cover an interim period, which has long since ceased.
§ Sir PERCY HARRISWould the right hon. Gentleman say who is representing the Foreign Office at Montreux?
§ 23. Mr. PRICEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the representative of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics at the Montreux Conference has asked for the right to send Russian ships through the Straits in fulfilment of obligations under the League Covenant; and whether it is the policy of His Majesty's Government to oppose this request?
§ Mr. EDENIt is not the policy of His Majesty's Government to oppose any action taken in the fulfilment of obligations under the League Covenant.
§ Mr. PRICEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, according to the "Times" correspondent in Montreux—
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe are not concerned with the newspaper correspondents.
§ Mr. PRICEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, according to various reports on the Continent, it is the opinion of the French Government that we are playing the game of Germany in this matter?