§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I have given the noble Marquess who leads the House private notice that I would ask him whether he was able to give us any information with regard to the most recent phase of the situation in South-Eastern Europe. We have, of course, all of us had an opportunity of considering the statement made last night in the House of Commons by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a statement which, if I may be allowed to say so, seemed to me to be as satisfactory as the circumstances could possibly permit. But that statement was of necessity couched in very general terms. We gather from it that the Great Powers are intent upon doing all that is possible to avoid a breach of the peace. But it is stated this afternoon in the streets that war has actually been declared. I dare say the noble Marquess will be able to tell us how far that is the case or not. We also gathered from Sir Edward Grey's statement that the Powers intend to press for the introduction of administrative reforms in Macedonia, and also that the Turkish Government admits the necessity of such reforms. 816 That, my Lords, is very satisfactory, but of course the difficulties commence when you begin to consider what the reforms shall be and what guarantees shall be taken for their execution. Of course, we cannot expect the noble Marquess to give us details upon a point of this kind, but he may, perhaps, be able to tell us whether it is the case that the reforms under discussion are to be based on Article XXIII of the Treaty of Berlin, and more particularly whether they are to be in general accordance with the scheme of reforms proposed by the International Commission for the reorganisation of Turkey and Crete—a scheme which is generally referred to as the Statute for Eastern Roumelia. We remember the circumstances in which that Statute was produced, and in which it unfortunately became completely abortive. The House will be grateful for any words of explanation which the noble Marquess sees his way to give us upon any of these points.
THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (THE MARQUESS OF CREWE)My Lords, I shall, of course, be glad to give the House all the information it is in my power to give, though I am not able to add much to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the House of Commons yesterday, a statement which I have no doubt is within the knowledge of your Lordships. My right hon. friend stated that two questions were before the Great Powers of Europe. In the first place they desired that peace in the Balkans should, if possible, be maintained, and with a view of impressing on the Balkan States the sentiments entertained by the Powers the two Great Powers most particularly concerned—namely, Austria-Hungary and Russia—were to make, and presumably have made, representations to the Balkan States on lines agreed upon by all the Great Powers. Those representations were to the effect, in the first place, that the necessity for the introduction of reforms would be seriously impressed upon Turkey by the Powers. The second point was this, that in no circumstances would the Great Powers agree to any change in the status quo in the South-East of Europe. Now, we are told to-day that a breach of the peace has already taken place, that there has been fighting on the Montenegrin frontier, and for a time it did not seem to be certain—we had no information— 817 as to whether this was the beginning of an actual state of war or whether it arose out of one of those frontier incidents which, as your Lordships are aware, have not infrequently occurred on those disturbed frontiers. But I am sorry to say that we have this afternoon received information that the fighting on that frontier is a sequel to a Note presented by the Montenegrin Chargé d' Affaires at Constantinople involving what was tantamount to a Declaration of War. Then as regards the latter part of the noble Marquess's question, it was agreed that at Constantinople identical communications should be made by the representatives of the different Powers in respect of reforms to be instituted by Turkey in the European Provinces; and, in reply to the particular point raised by the noble Marquess, it is clearly intended that the basis of discussion, the starting point from which the discussion between Turkey and the Powers will take place, will be Article XXIII and the Law of 1880, to which the noble Marquess has alluded—that is to say, it is intended that the reforms should be carried out in the spirit of those two instruments. It is also clearly stated at the same time that the reforms shall be carried out without infraction of the territorial sovereignty of Turkey. The one feature which, I think, we can all regard as encouraging in a situation of great stress and anxiety is the accord which has been arrived at and is being maintained between the Great Powers with regard to the representations which they are unitedly prepared to make.