The debate on the Anglo-Russian Convention was opened in the
Commons on Monday by Lord Percy in a long and able speech. He welcomed the spirit which had prompted the Agreement, and made it clear that his criticisms did not imply that the leaders of the Opposition would be unwilling to carry out loyally the obligations into which the Govern- ment had entered. None the less he held that the sacrifices we had made were excessive ; that the terms of the Convention
were ambiguous and left room for international misunder- standing; and that the delimitation of 'territories in Persia was arbitrary. In conclusion, he -deplored our omission- to embody the recognition of our claims in the Persian Gulf in the Convention. Sir Edward Grey in his reply contrasted the pessimistic tone of Lord Percy with the optimism of Lord Lansdowne. He admitted that there were ambiguities, but.if they had eliminated all ambiguities they would never have signed a Convention. As for the demarcation of terri- tories, another line might have been more acceptable com- mercially, but that would have laid Seistan open to a Russian advance, and they had regarded strategic considerations as paramount throughout. He demurred strongly to Lord Curzon's view that we had sacrificed the efforts of a hundred years in diplomacy and trade. On the contrary, the Agree- ment sacrificed nothing which had not been virtually sacrificed in the last twenty years.
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