* THE EARL OF JERSEYMy Lords, I rise to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can state what progress has been made towards obtaining a settlement of Messrs. Burns, Philp & Co.'s claim against the German Government on account of the Marshall Islands incidents. It will not be necessary for me to deal with the merits of this case. They have been discussed on several occasions in your Lordships' House during the last two or three years, but the main point is that since His Majesty's Government presented the claim of Messrs. Burns, Philp amps; Co. to the German Government that Government does not seem to have done very much in the matter. It is very hard indeed on this firm. The delay of the German Government in dealing with this matter has created strong feeling in Australia, as the noble Earl the Secretary of State for the Colonies knows. It is felt there that the German Government has not been acting exactly in a friendly and reasonable manner. I wish, however, to make it perfectly clear that no blame at all attaches to His Majesty's Government, as I am aware that the noble Lord the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has done all he possibly could to bring this matter forward. I hope he will be in a position this evening to inform us that some steps have been taken towards coming to a final conclusion.
THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lord FITZMAURICE)My Lords, I have to thank my noble friend for the kind terms in which he has spoken of the action of the office which I have the honour to represent in your Lordships' House. I am quite aware that there is a great desire in the Australian Colonies to have this matter satisfactorily and promptly settled. The present position is this. His Majesty's Government have repeatedly called the attention of the German Government to this claim, but so far have not been able to obtain a definite reply on the question of compensation. The German Government stated, in January last, that a detailed examination of the company's claim 846 had already been begun, but that this examination would, in the nature of things, take a considerable time. Since that date His Majesty's Government have twice reminded the German Government of the claim, and they trust that, as some months have now elapsed, the German Government will endeavour to come to a decision in the matter at an early date. In these circumstances I hope that my noble friend will for the present be satisfied with the statement that the question is being carefully watched and being pushed forward by the Foreign Office.