§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to lay upon the Table of the House the papers, which were promised to the hon. Member for Bow and Bromley (Mr. Lansbury) on the 14th July, 1924, relating to the communication received from the Chinese Government protesting against the action of the commander of His Majesty's Ship "Cockchafer" in threatening to bombard the town of Wanhsien unless the municipal authorities ordered the execution of two junkmen alleged to be the murderers of an American citizen, Mr. Hawley, and also ordered the municipal authorities to walk in the procession on the occasion of the funeral of Mr. Hawley; and whether he can inform the House what reply was sent to the protest made by the Chinese Government?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONI would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty on the 17th of December, 1924, to which I have nothing to add. The hon. Member is mistaken in supposing that the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition when Foreign Secretary promised to publish 1943W these papers. In the opinion of His Majesty's Government no good purpose would be served by their publication now.