§ Sir FORTESCUE FLANNERYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1421W whether he can state the reason why the British Vice-Consul at Antung, who was appointed in 1907, was withdrawn in 1909; and whether, having regard to the important position of Antung on the River Yalu, being the boundary between Korea, now annexed by Japan, and Manchuria, he will, in the interests of British commerce, appoint a successor to the Vice-Consulate with all reasonable despatch?
§ Sir E. GREYThe British Vice-Consul at Antung was transferred temporarily to Mukden in October, 1909, in order to enable the Consul-General at the latter post to pay more frequent visits to the commercial centres in his district. In December of the same year His Majesty's Minister at Peking reported that, according to his information, British commercial and political interests at Antung were insufficient to warrant the permanent presence of a Consular officer there, and that, for the present, they would be sufficiently protected by periodical visits from Mukden. I will inquire of His Majesty's Minister whether he has had any reason to modify his opinion during the past year.