Orders of the Day — Treaty of Peace [Expenses].

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 18 July 1919.

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Photo of Mr Stanley Baldwin Mr Stanley Baldwin , Bewdley

There will be a Vote for that I think among the Supplementary Votes. It was essential, as my hon. Friend will see, to get. someone for the time being to act as Secretary to the League of Nations, which is not yet in existence. Of course, if the League of Nations should not come into existence, Sir Eric Drummond's work will fall out. If the League of Nations does come into existence, he will then be confirmed in that work, and in due course his salary will come before the House on an Estimate, when the House will have an opportunity of criticising the appointment and the salary. I am afraid, with all respect to my hon. Friend, that it would have been quite impossible to give him any estimate of figures at all. It was for that reason that, at first, I had not contemplated issuing a White Paper on the subject. Complaint has been made about the very informal shape this Paper has taken. I had a discussion with the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Peebles (Sir D. Maclean) last night, and we both came to the conclusion that it was very desirable, even where it is impossible to give any estimate of figures, that a document should be circulated stating the reasons why it was impossible and the purposes for which the money would be required. I hope that on all future occasions where Resolutions of this kind are brought in and where it is impossible to make an estimate, I shall present a properly printed document of the same nature as this one, which I have had typewritten.