asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, before the representative of the Emperor Haile Selassie was urged by the chief secretary to the High Commissioner in Palestine to surrender the building occupied by the Ethiopian consulate and its contents to the Italians, the Attorney-General of Palestine was consulted as to whether, in view of the fact that the League of Nations, from whom the mandate is held, has not recognised Italian sovereignty over Ethiopia, the case decided against the Emperor by a British court was a valid reason for assuming that the Palestinian courts would similarly decide against the Emperor if he resisted deprivation of property held by him in Palestine?

The mandate for Palestine was conferred on His Majesty's Government by the Allied and Associated Powers. In view of the fact that de jure recognition of Italian sovereignty over Ethiopia has been accorded by His Majesty's Government, and in view of the decision of the British courts in the case of the ex-Emperor of Ethiopia versus Cables and Wireless, Limited, it was thought proper to warn the representative of the ex-Emperor in Jerusalem that legal proceedings for possession in Palestine would probably be unsuccessful. The Attorney-General of Palestine was present at the interview at which the warning was given.