Oral Answers to Questions — China. – in the House of Commons at on 14 September 1931.
Mr John Wardlaw-Milne
, Kidderminster
asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the present position of the extra-territoriality negotiations being carried on with the Chinese Government?
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
As stated in the answer returned in this House on 17th June last, the negotiations have reached a, stage which enables them to be reported to their respective Governments. Owing to the political conditions in China, there has been no change in the position since that date.
Mr John Wardlaw-Milne
, Kidderminster
Are we to understand that negotiations have, in fact, been interrupted and no date has been fixed for their resumption? If not, is not that desirable in view of the Thorburn case and other cases of a similar kind, which appear to make it undesirable to go on with these negotiations?
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
The position is that neither Government has yet completed its examination of the position reached in the negotiations.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
