§ Sir HERBERT NIELDasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will prepare and issue with the Votes a précis or epitome of the- Reports received at the Foreign Office from His Majesty's representatives at Paris, Washington, Athens, and Rome on the subject of the legislative proposals made or carried by the Allied Governments with regard to the exclusion of subjects of enemy countries recently at war with them; and whether he will follow a similar course in respect of Reports subsequently received from representatives in Allied countries from whom such information has been invited but has not yet been received?
Mr. HARMSWORTHissued the following statement in continuation of that published in the OFFICIAL REPORT on the 17th instant:
From a communication received by His Majesty's Ambassador at Home from the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs it appears that no legislative measures have been adopted by the Italian Government to exclude the subjects of enemy or ex-enemy States from Italy.The Lieut.-General's Decree, No. 36, of 18th January, 1918, now rescinded, laid down that enemy subjects should only be allowed to reside in the places decided on in each case by the authorities of the public Security Department, always excepting localities in any way connected with the scheme of national defence.As regards the entry of the subjects of enemy States into Italy the regulations laid down in the Lieut.-General's Decree, No. 895, of 23rd July, 1916, Article 23, forbade the Italian authorities abroad to viser the passports of such aliens, except in cases where special authority had been 1840W granted by the Ministry of Interior at the request of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. These regulations are still in force.No steps have been taken for the repatriation of enemy subjects in Italy.