§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Prime Minister whether Article 18 of Annex 2, of Part VIII (Reparations) of the Treaty of Versailles is interpreted by His Majesty's Government to mean the giving of liberty of action to each respective Government to apply sanctions separately against Germany in the event of the alleged voluntary default by the German Government in the payment of reparations or the carrying out other portions of the Treaty?
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Mr. CHAMBERLAINParagraph 18 must be read with paragraph 17, which relates to the right of the Reparation Commission to notify each of the interested Powers that Germany is in default, and to make such recommendations as to the action to be taken in consequence of such default as the Reparation Commission may think necessary. Paragraph 18 is understood by His Majesty's Government as conferring upon the individual Governments the right to take action independently, but the action taken must be of the nature contemplated by the paragraph, namely, economic and financial prohibitions and reprisals, and in general such measures as it is proper for Governments to take individually. I would remind the hon. and gallant Member that by paragraph 12 of the same annex, the right to interpret the provisions of the Reparation Section of the Treaty is conferred upon the Reparation Commission, and that the views of His Majesty's Government on the subject have, therefore, no binding character.