§ Mr. KIRKWOODasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) which of the Powers were signatories to the agreement by which Montenegro was annexed by the Yugo-Slay State; and whether His Majesty's Government assented to the arrangement;
(2) if he is aware that the people of Montenegro have never been consulted as to their incorporation in the State of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes; and why no plebiscite was held before the country was incorporated within the territories of the Sorbs, Croats and Slovenes?
§ Mr. A. CHAMBERLAINThere was no international obligation by which Montenegro was annexed by the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, nor was any formal plebiscite held to ascertain the wishes of the Montenegrin people. What happened was that His Majesty's Government, who 1853W were not convinced by the representative character of the Pact of Corfu of July, 1917, or of the decision of the Podgoritsa Assembly of 24th November, 1918, postponed their recognition of the union proclaimed by those two instruments until they were satisfied that this union was in fact desired by the majority of Montenegrins. The opportunity for this expression of national will was furnished by the elections to the Constituent Assembly in 1920, and His Majesty's Government took unusual steps to satisfy themselves that these elections did in fact, and when all reservations had been made, represent the desire of the majority. For the result of these elections and a report on the manner in which they were conducted, I would refer the hon. Member to Command Paper 1124 of 1921.