§ 12. Lieut.-Colonel Marloweasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the claim of Mr. Joseph Martin was one of three taken up by the British Government with the Soviet Government and compensation found due before May, 1923: that the other two claims were put forward to Russia on 2nd May, 1923, and paid; and, as the Under-Secretary of State told this House on 9th May, 1940, that Mr. Martin's claim was not put forward with the other two in May, 1923, being unlikely to succeed, will be state the grounds for this and why a demand for compensation was likely to be successful in the other two cases but not in Mr. Martin's case.
§ Mr. LawAs regards the first and second parts of this Question, I would invite my hon. and gallant Friend's attention to my reply of 28th July, 1943. As regards the 147 third part of the question, the decision was taken by the Foreign Secretary of the time in the exercise of his discretion.
§ Lieut.-Colonel MarloweIs my right. hon. Friend aware that as long as 20 years ago the Foreign Office set on record that His Majesty's Government could not consent to relegate a settlement of this claim to an indefinite date? Does he not think, having regard to the years of suffering this man has endured, that the time has now come to implement that pledge?
§ Mr. LawIf I were not aware of it it would certainly be through no fault of my hon. and gallant Friend, who has taken every care to see that the full facts of this case were brought before the Government. I very much regret that I cannot give him any further answer than I have given him already.
§ Mr. Neil MacleanIs it not the case that in 1920 the British Government were very anti-Russian; and is there not a changed attitude to-day towards Russia?