Page:Paul Samuel Reinsch - Secret Diplomacy, How Far Can It Be Eliminated? - 1922.djvu/98



Meanwhile the government, in Parliament, con- fined itself to plain denials whenever the matter of international undertakings and obligations of a general nature was brought up. The denials could be justified from the point of view that the situation as stated by the uninformed questioner in Parliament, in each case did not exactly cor- respond to the facts. But the impression created by such denials that no serious obligations had been incurred was, as the result showed, entirely misleading.

On March 8, 1911, Mr. Jowett asked in the House of Commons whether any undertaking, promise or understanding had been given to France that in certain eventualities British troops would be sent to cooperate with the French army. The Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs replied: "The answer is in the negative." On December 6, 1911, the Prime Minister said:

' ' As has been stated, there were no secret engagements with France other than those that have now been pub- lished, and there are no secret engagements with any foreign Government that entail upon us any obligation to render military or naval assistance to any other Power."

Upon another occasion Mr. Yerburgh, M.P., in- quired :