§ MR. FORTasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether, seeing that Sir W. Mends holds the office of Director of Transports, Mr. Thomas Crawford that of Director General of the Army Medical Department, and Mr. George Lawson that of Assistant Director of Supplies and Transports, and are thus all officially connected with the Departments which are alleged to have failed in properly carrying out their duties during the late war, it would not be more satisfactory if they appeared as witnesses before, rather than as members of, a Committee appointed to inquire into matters so intimately connected with their own departments; and, whether he is aware that there is a feeling abroad that before a Committee thus constituted, subordinate officers of the Transport and Medical Departments would be unlikely to give the requisite evidence?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, in reply to my hon. Friend, I have to state that Admiral Mends is Director of Naval Transports, and that the two other officers whom he names are correctly described; but that, as the main object of the Committee is to improve the arrangements, in certain respects, of these Departments, no one would be so fitted to take part in the inquiry as Dr. Craw- 661 ford and Mr. Lawson. My hon. Friend will remember that, besides these, the Committee and its Secretary comprise six gentlemen, four of whom are military officers. As to the last Question, I cannot conceive that any such feeling could exist, inasmuch as the subordinates of these Departments, so far from being complainants, will naturally look to their chief to see that they have fair play against attacks which have been made on them. I can only repeat that, having very well weighed all the circumstances, I am of opinion that the Committee is a fair one, and that I cannot alter its constitution.
§ MR. W. H. SMITHI wish to ask whether there has been any suggestion of any failure of these Departments from any quarter?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, I should not like to say there has not been such a suggestion from any quarter. Some of the statements in the newspapers do touch remotely the Transport Service, as regards the arrangements on board transport ships. Admiral Mends is a most able administrator, and the service in connection with the present Expedition has been beyond all praise.