§ 46. Lieut. Commander FLETCHERasked the Prime Minister whether His Majesty's Government regard Ethiopia as a kingdom possessing full independence as commonly interpreted in international law; if so, do they regard Haile Selassie as the Emperor of Ethiopia and possessing full sovereign rights in respect of Ethiopia; and, if not, in whom do they regard the sovereignty of Ethiopia as vested at this juncture?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe only change which His Majesty's Government have so far recognised in the status of Ethiopia is that a large part of the kingdom is under Italian military occupation.
§ 47. Mr. A. HENDERSONasked the Prime Minister whether the decision of the Emperor of Abyssinia to renounce the direction of affairs was in any way influenced by representations or suggestions made to him by the French or British representatives at Addis Ababa; and, if so, will be state the terms of such representations?
§ Sir J. SIMONHis Majesty's Government have no reason to believe that the 549 French representative at Addis Ababa made any such representations, and the suggestion that His Majesty's Minister exerted any influence of the kind indicated by the hon. Member is entirely without foundation.
§ 48. Mr. HENDERSONasked the Prime Minister whether, in the view of the Government, the decision of the Emperor of Abyssinia to renounce the direction of affairs constitutes abdication or in any way prevents his recognition as the head of a sovereign state?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo, Sir.
50. Commander LOCKER-LAM PS 0 Nasked the Prime Minister whether, as the Italian Government now control the sources of the Nile in Abyssinia, any change in policy is contemplated in consequence?
Sir J. SVMONI would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which was given by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall (Mr. Leckie) on 28th April, to which I have nothing to add.
§ 50. Mr. A. HENDERSONasked the Prime Minister whether the Government have been officially informed that Baron Aloisi has handed to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations a notification of the annexation of Abyssinia by Italy; and whether the Government intend to recognise such annexation?
§ Sir J. SIMONHis Majesty's Government have no official information of the action alleged in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister yesterday to a question asked by the hon. and gallant Member for Nuneaton (Lieut.-Commander Fletcher), to which I have nothing to add.
§ 53. Mr. MANDERasked the Prime Minister whether any request was made by the French Government that the Emperor of Abyssinia, before leaving Jibuti, should be asked to accept limitations on his activities abroad or whether it was a proposal of the British Government alone; whether the undertaking not to participate in the furtherance of hostilities in any way precluded the Emperor from rendering diplomatic and 550 political assistance to his country; and whether the precise terms of the undertaking can now be published?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo request was made by the French Government with regard to the conduct of the Emperor while resident in territory under British mandate. The Prime Minister made it clear, in the reply which he gave to the hon. Member on Tuesday last, that there was never any question of any formal undertaking from the Emperor being required as a condition of fulfilling His Majesty's desire to proceed with his family to Palestine. The Emperor was informed that he would be expected while in Palestine not to participate in the furtherance of hostilities. The hon. Member may be assured that there is no intention of interpreting that phrase to mean more than it says.
§ Mr. MANDERCan the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that no pressure has been or will be put on the Emperor not to come to this country, as is rumoured?
§ Sir J. SIMONThat is another question, which would certainly have to be put on the Paper.
§ 85. Brigadier - General Sir HENRY CROFTasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what important commodities the Union of South Africa has denied to Italy since sanctions were invoked; and the approximate total loss in trade to that Dominion?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Marquess of Hartington)The commodities whose export to Italy has been forbidden in the Union of South Africa are those covered by the export prohibitions adopted by the Co-ordination Committee: particulars as to these are contained on pages 43, 44 and 46 of Command Paper 5071. The statistics supplied to that committee for November and December, 1935, and January, 1936, which are the latest available, indicate that during those month the value of exports from the Union of South Africa to Italy and her colonies decreased from 1,219,500 gold dollars in the corresponding months of 1934–35 to 272,200 gold dollars.
93. Miss RATHBONEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Gov- 551 ernment, so long as the agreed sanctions against Italy remain the declared policy of the League of Nations, to insist on their strict observance by British nationals and to use all the means in their power to secure an equally strict observance by those other States members of the League who have concurred in that policy?
§ Sir J. SIMONThe answer to the first part of the question is Yes, Sir. His Majesty's Government will naturally expect the other members of the League who may endorse this policy to carry out their obligations with equal fidelity.
§ Mr. MANDERWhat effective alternative proposals to deal with the situation have the Government in mind?
§ Sir J. SIMONI have nothing to add.
§ 94. Mr. MANDERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any consideration has been, or will now be, given by the League of Nations to the possibility of taking action in support of economic measures against Italy by establishing an effective blockade of her seaboard and entrusting some members of the League with the execution of the blockade operations, in accordance with the 18th resolution concerning the economic weapon adopted by the Assembly of the League of Nations on 4th November, 1921?
§ Sir J. SIMONNo such proposal has been considered by the Co-ordination Committee or the Committee of Eighteen. As regards the future, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which the Prime Minister gave yesterday to a question asked by him regarding the Government's policy towards sanctions, to which I have nothing to add.
95. Miss RATHBONEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will provide the House with the materials for establishing the truth of the allegations of barbarous practices in the conduct of the war made by the Italian and Abyssinian Governments, respectively, including the alleged use of dumdum bullets supplied by British firms, by causing the report of the Committee of Jurists to the League of Nations to be published as a White Paper?
§ Sir J. SIMONCopies of the document prepared by the Committee of Jurists 552 were placed in the Library of the House on 24th April as an annex to the report to the Council of the League of Nations by the Committee of Thirteen dated 18th April. The jurists' document was not properly speaking a. report, but an analysis of the documents concerning the conduct of the war in Ethopia which had been communicated to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations from official sources down to 16th April, 1936. The Committee of Thirteen's Report, which should in the opinion of His Majesty's Government be treated integrally, is, as hon. Members will have noticed, a long and detailed document, and I do not think any useful purpose would be served by publishing a part of it as. a, White Paper.
Miss RATHBONEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the public is being deluged with Italian propaganda? Would not the publication of these documents, even uncommented on by the committee, be the best answer to that propaganda?
§ Sir J. SIMONThis is, of course, a League of Nations' document, I do not think taking a portion of the report will necessarily be a good way of doing it.