§ Mr. NEEDHAMasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state when the Return will be laid as promised stating the names and nationality of neutral vessels which were captured by belligerents during the Franco-Chinese War and the Russo-Japanese War, stating the nature of the cargoes carried and the results of such belligerent action?
§ Mr. NEEDHAMalso asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will say when the Return will be laid of the neutral vessels which were captured during the Russo-Japanese war and subsequently adjudicated upon by Russian and Japanese Prize Courts, stating the nationality of the ships, the nature of the cargoes carried, and the decisions of the Prize Courts?
§ Sir E. GREYI will answer, at the same time, this question and a similar question addressed to the First Lord of the Admiralty. The two volumes referred to in the answer given to the hon. Member's question on the 5th April last are not yet ready for issue, the material necessary to make them complete proving very difficult to obtain, in some cases, though every endeavour is being made to procure it. The same difficulty stands in the way of preparing at present a complete Return for Parliament, though I have not lost sight 793W of the matter. If a Return of captures of only British vessels were required, it could be prepared at once. The difficulty lies in obtaining details in regard to the capture of vessels of other nationalities, and the various stages of Prize Court procedure to which they have been subjected.