§ GENERAL RUSSELL (Cheltenham)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the attention of the Government has been called to the repeated reports of the ill-treatment and neglect of British prisoners at Pretoria, of the want of proper shelter, of the neglect of ordinary sanitary arrangements and of the deficiency of medicines for the sick, and also that the comforts and supplies forwarded by friends have never reached these prisoners; and whether any inquiries and representations have been made to the American Government, with a view to the American Consul at Pretoria, who has charge of British interests, making inquiries as to the truth of these statements.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The attention of Her Majesty's Government has been called to the reports of the condition of the British prisoners of war. Her Majesty's Ambassador at Washington was instructed on March 15 to request information through the United States Consul at Pretoria as to the treatment of the colonial prisoners. The reply was that they were not harshly treated. Had the prisoners generally been ill-treated, it is presumed the Consul would have mentioned the fact in his report on the colonial prisoners. The Government have no information as to the alleged deficiency of medicines for the sick, or as to comforts and supplies forwarded by friends not having reached the prisoners. The Government of the Republic allows the United States Consul to forward letters and to deliver letters, papers, and supplies to the prisoners. The question of making further inquiries through the United States Consul is under consideration.