§ MR. CHARLES McARTHUR (Liverpool, Exchange)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Mr. Robert Creen, late Lieutenant in the 6th Volunteer Battalion (King's Liverpool Regiment), has been deprived of his commission on a charge of insubordination, consisting in his asking the commanding officer of the regiment to direct that the officers be periodically furnished with information as to, and allowed a voice in, the expenditure and management of the moneys subscribed by them to the private funds of the corps; whether he will explain why Mr. Creen was not furnished before the inquiry with information as ho the charges to be brought against him, or allowed at the inquiry to call or put in evidence on his own behalf or to cross-examine the witnesses against him; and 740 whether he proposes to take any further action in the matter.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERMy hon. friend's Question has already been answered in official and semi-official correspondence to which I have nothing to add. But as he asks the Question I will repeat that a Court of Inquiry of three Volunteer commanding officers found Lieutenant Creen guilty of insubordination to his commanding officer. On the advice of the military authorities it was decided to call on Lieutenant Creen to resign; he has not done so and steps will now be taken for his removal. As regards the other points it appears that Lieutenant Creen had all the information at his disposal as to the scope of the inquiry, and that he called a witness on his behalf; the Court only refused to receive certain letters and evidence which it considered irrelevant.
§ MR. CHARLES MCARTHURHaving regard to the fact that it is alleged that this officer has been unfairly treated, will the right hon. Gentleman lay on the Table the Report of the Court of Inquiry or other correspondence?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERNo, Sir. I should be very unwilling to go behind the Report of a properly constituted Court on a matter of discipline.