§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India why have Boer prisoners of war in India been put to hard labour, subjected to the cropping of the hair, and placed on bread and water for declining to do menial work on the ground that they were prisoners of war and not criminals.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR INDIA (Earl PERCY, Kensington, S.)All prisoners of war are subject to the regulations in force amongst the troops in whose custody they are kept, and if they decline to obey them or misconduct themselves they are subject to the military penalties attached to such offences.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLCan the noble Lord state without notice how many Boers have been subjected to these penalties?
§ EARL PERCYNo, Sir, I cannot.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLTo ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state what arrangements have been made with reference to the Boer prisoners of war in India who refuse to take the oath of allegiance but are willing to sign the conditions of peace; and how many Boer prisoners of war are at present in India under these circumstances.
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, Worcestershire, E., for Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN)No distinction is drawn between the taking of the oath of allegiance by prisoners of war and the signing of the declaration of acceptance of the terms of surrender. There are now about 800 prisoners of war in India who have refused either to take the oath or make the declaration, and it has been arranged that General Botha shall send a messenger to them to explain to them the desirability of making the declaration.