AWKWARD-VERY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3174, 27 August 1917, Page 8

AWKWARD-VERY

DIPLOMAT'S t,KTTF,R THAT M[B- - CARIi'TED. Mr. A. .1. Balfour, Foreign Minister, in reply to Mr. King in the Honso of Conilnons on June 2S, said ho was aware of .1 letter published in tho Press on March 6 purporting to hare been written on July 21 last, by Lord ITardingc, Pcrnin*. nent Secretary to tbo Foreign Office, to Sir Geom' Buchanan, British Ambassa<)or in pelroerad. Lortl Eardinge. he said, admits the authorship nf this letter, but. he had uo't been aslced for an explanation of- its references- to Mr. M'Kenna, and to the Prime Minister of Rumania.- He did not propose to take any action. x The passage in question in' tho letter referred to, which was read in Parliament oil March 5, was as follows:— It is astonishing what an evil role is always being played by theso Russian revolutionaries. 1 am glad that yon sent your telegram to the Tsar, 'indliopo it may prove effective. Benctendorff seems at present to be very depressed on aenoutn of t.lie difficulties which ho experiences in his financial arrangements with M'Kenna. There is a real bother about tho money which he wants to got from us in order to maintain the rouble exchange. M'Kenna, liko all financialpeople, is narrow-minde-l and pedantic, and asserts that the rouble exchange is a matter which does not concern the war. His opinion is a false one. .

Mr. Iving now asked whether it was really intended thajt. T/ord U.ardinge should remain in offico without an apology to Mr. MUCanmi and the Kitjnanian Premier.

Atr. Balfour said the letter was a pri- 1 vate. one obtained by tho :llegal action of a German submarine. The German Government published it to make mischief, and lie appealed to Mr. Jung not to abet, the German Government. (Laughter.)'