§ Major GLYNasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps the Government intend to take to assist. British subjects whose business in Turkey has suffered as a result of the war between Greece and the Turkish Nationals: whether Sir Adam Block, the delegate of the English and Dutch bondholders on the council of the Ottoman public Debt committee, has reported to the Government upon the economic conditions of Turkey; and whether he has made any recommendations on this subject?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMEPending the conclusion of a general Treaty of Peace with Turkey, I am unable to make any statement on the subject referred to in the first part of the question. I am not aware of any recent report by Sir Adam Block of the nature referred to in the second part.
§ Major GLYNasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether a petition from the British colony of Smyrna, signed by 144 persons, has been received by the Foreign Office in regard to the claims of British subjects for property seized by the Turks, for which no compensation has yet been received what reply has been sent to the British Chamber of Commerce at Smyrna in reply to this petition; and whether the Government intend to take any steps actively to assist British nationals in the recovery of, or compensation for, their sequestrated property?
Mr. HARMSWORTRThe answer to the first part of the question is in the696W affirmative. In regard to the second part, the representative in Smyrna of His Majesty's High Commissioner at Constantinople was instructed on 24th August, 1912, to communicate to the local British community a short memorandum explaining the exact position in regard to British claims against the Turkish Government and Turkish nationals. Copies of this memorandum were also sent to the London Chamber of Commerce and to other interested bodies. I am prepared to send the hon. Member a copy.
In regard to the third part of the question, the competent Departments of His Majesty's Government are considering this matter sympathetically, and a Royal Commission has recently been set up to secure that such action as may be possible is taken without any avoidable delay in respect of the claims of really necessitous British subjects who have suffered damage and loss through enemy action in various countries. Claims of British residents in Turkey are filed with the Reparation Commission and are being dealt with as quickly as circumstances permit, but it is clearly impossible to accord them preferential treatment over those of British subjects in other countries. It must, moreover, be borne in mind that the funds available fun the settlement even of the most urgent claims are extremely limited.