§ Mr. A. Hendersonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what law, according to the protocols, the Bank of International Settlement is subject, and what action His Majesty's Government propose to take, in view of the fact that the board of the said bank, which contains two representatives of the Bank of England, has recently taken a decision with respect to the Czech gold, which constitutes a recognition that the German Government is the de jure Government of Bohemia and Moravia, contrary to the policy of His Majesty's Government?
§ Sir J. SimonI would refer the hon. and learned Member to the convention respecting the Bank for International Settlements signed at the Hague in January, 1930 (Command Paper 3484) and the Constituent Charter granted by the Swiss Government to the bank in 1930 in accordance with that convention. No doubt the bank carries out banking transactions in accordance with what it understands to be its legal obligations, and I am not aware of any evidence that the transaction referred to in the question can properly be held to imply thatde jure recognition had been granted to the incorporation of Bohemia and Moravia in the Reich. In any case, it is clear 2532W that there is no action which His Majesty's Government can usefully take in the matter.