§ 11. Sir William Davisonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare the present position with regard to exports of chrome from Turkey to Germany and Great Britain, respectively; and under what circumstances has Turkey recently increased her exports of this vital war material to Germany while substantially reducing her exports to the Allies.
§ 9. Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare the output of chrome-ore in Turkey for the year 1943; and the quantities of chrome-ore exported to Germany, to Germany's satellites and to the neutral countries of Europe, respectively.
§ Mr. FootI have no precise figures of Turkish production of chrome-ore in 1943. But the annual production in recent years has been in the neighbourhood of 100,000 tons. Exports during 1943 to the United Nations were 56,000 tons and to Germany approximately 47,000 tons. During the first two months of 1944 exports were 14,800 tons to Germany and 1,870 tons to the United Nations, the falling off in exports to the United Nations being mainly due to difficulties of transport. According to my information there have 8 been no exports during the past fifteen months to satellite or neutral countries. Since November last year, there has been a substantial increase in the monthly rate of consignments to Germany in return for increased German deliveries of arms. His Majesty's Ambassador at Angora, with the full support of his United States colleague, has drawn the most earnest attention of the Turkish Government to this increased assistance to our enemies, and His Majesty's Government feel sure that as a result of these representations the Turkish Government will realise the need either to prohibit these exports entirely, or to limit them to the barest minimum.
§ Sir W. DavisonWill this matter be pressed urgently? Does it not seem an extraordinary thing that an Ally should export to the enemy goods for the destruction of the soldiers of its own Ally?
§ Mr. G. StraussCan the right hon. Gentleman say, approximately, what percentage of Germany's chrome supplies do, in fact, come from Turkey?