§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether it is intended in the future conduct of the campaign to discriminate between large and small bodies of the enemy, and whether the latter are to be denied belligerent rights.
LORD STANLEYThe future conduct of the campaign must be left to Lord Kitchener, who will no doubt be guided by whether the enemy act as belligerents or contrary to the usages of war, irrespective of the numbers that may be fighting against us at any one time or place.
§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)Will the noble Lord, consistently with the statement he has just made, withdraw the telegram of instructions which has just been sent, controlling Lord Kitchener's action in this matter?
LORD STANLEYNo, Sir; because I hold that what Kruitzinger threatened was contrary to the usages of war.
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTIs it understood, then, that in this matter Lord Kitchener is acting under the direct orders of His Majesty's Government from home?
LORD STANLEYNo, Sir; Lord Kitchener in his telegram mentions the whole facts of the case, and he would naturally rely to some extent on the advice he got from home, but he certainly would act entirely on his own initiative.
§ MR. FLAVIN (Kerry, W.)Has a date yet been fixed for Lord Kitchener's return?
§ [No answer was given.]