HC Deb 14 July 1899 vol 74 cc885-6
CAPTAIN SINCLAIR

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War why the information contained in the paragraph in The Times, of 5th July, with regard to military preparations for South Africa was communicated by the Secretary of State for War to The Times before any information was given to this House.

* MR. WYNDHAM

Had any hon. Member asked me a question upon this subject I should have been quite ready to give him the same information.

MR. DILLON

Has The Times newspaper been adopted by the War Office as the official journal in any sense, and why did the War Office not make the Communication to other journals as well?

* MR. WYNDHAM

I think the hon. Member is attaching undue importance to the notice of the events referred to which appeared in The Times. There was little in that notice which had not been announced by other papers sonic days before.

MR. SWIFT MAcNEILL (Donegal, S.)

No, no.

MR, DAVITT

May not the publication of the information in The Times be for the purpose of concealing proposed. military operations from the Boers?

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!