§ 3. Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government have accepted the invitation from the Government of Czechoslovakia to send a British military officer to inspect all Czechoslovak aerodromes; whether the report of such officer 914 has yet been received; and, if so, whether he will communicate its contents to the House?
§ Viscount CranborneHis Majesty's Government have much appreciated the invitation extended by the Czechoslovak Government. They have, however, felt that it would be impossible for a member of His Majesty's Legation individually to carry out such an investigation, and thus to intervene in a controversy between two foreign States in which His Majesty's Government have no direct national concern.
§ Mr. HendersonWould the hon. Gentleman say it was intervening in a dispute if representatives of the British Government were to inspect aerodromes, in order to ascertain a question of fact?
§ Viscount CranborneCertainly. It would be intervening in a controversy between two nations.
§ Mr. ManderIs it not a fact that some representatives of the Air Ministry have recently gone to Germany to inspect what has been done in military aviation over there?
§ Viscount CranborneThe circumstances are absolutely different.