§ LORD SYDENHAMMy Lords, on behalf of Lord Lamington, I rise to ask whether the Italian Government have recently imprisoned and deported Albanian notables from Valona; also why the Albanian Government are not allowed to issue passports to their own subjects.
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (THE EARL OF CRAW-FORD)My Lords, the occupation of parts of Albania by Italian troops was the natural corollary to the expulsion of the hostile armies of Austria and Bulgaria. It saved Albania from complete absorption by the enemy, but was itself a provisional arrangement until the fate of Albania could be decided by the Peace Conference. Hence it came about that all temporary arrangements for the administration or control of Albania's foreign relations, including such matters as the issuing of passports to Albanian subjects, were naturally left in the hands of the Italian authorities. The provisional exercise of this right was not intended in the least degree to prejudge the decisions still to be taken by the Supreme Council on the future of the country.
The noble Lord has also asked whether Albanian notables have been recently imprisoned and deported from Valona. In the absence of any British representative in Albania, I have no certain information on this subject. But it may very well be that such incidents have occurred; and, in the recent and present disturbed condition of the country, they are probably by no means the sole or most conspicuous instance of internal disorder.