§ Sir BERKELEY SHEFFIELDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the letter of Captain Bacon to Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fisher, making serious reflections on an hon. Member of this House, was printed by Messrs. Eyre and Spottis-woode at the orders of the Board of Admiralty; whether he can state how the letter came to be circulated; and whether it was in any way marked as confidential?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The letter was not circulated in the ordinary sense of the word, and I have no knowledge as to how any copy obtained publicity except by what has been published in the Press. Although the letter was not marked "Confidential," it was obviously a private letter.
§ Captain W. V. FABERMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman who is the person actually responsible for the directions given to the King's printers to print this libellous document?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have said again and again that the letter was printed by order of the First Sea Lord.
§ Colonel Sir IVOR HERBERTMay I ask whether it has not been the custom from time immemorial to print letters of a private character in order that the subject matter of those letters may be brought within the official ambit of knowledge within the Department, and has not the regulation recently issued had the effect of limiting the very considerable number of unregistered letters so brought into official cognisance?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes, Sir, that is the case. It is the common practice of every Department to print letters by order of 394 the head of the Department for the purpose of future reference. Nothing more was done in this case than that.
§ Mr JOYNSON-HICKSMay I ask if the right hon. Gentleman officially associates or dissociates himself—
§ Mr. SPEAKEROrder, order. That does not arise out of the question on the paper.
§ Mr. CROOKSWho stole the letter?
§ Mr. C. CRAIGIn view of the fact which has been admitted by the right hon. Gentleman these letters were not printed by the private printers of the Department, but were printed by Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode—
§ Mr. SPEAKERWill the hon. Member ask his question without repeating a previous answer?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is disregarding my ruling.
§ Major ANSTRUTHER-GRAYWill the right hon. Gentleman see that in future private and confidential letters are marked "private and confidential"?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have already said that this was obviously a private letter.
§ Mr. McKENNAOn a point of order, Sir. I do not know whether your attention has been called to an observation by the Noble Lord opposite (the Earl of Winterton). The Noble Lord asked whether we proposed to observe the ordinary standards of honour.
§ Earl WINTERTONAs my observation was obviously disorderly, of course I withdraw what I said.
§ Captain FABERCould not these letters have been printed at the Admiralty instead of by public printers?
§ Mr. BELLAIRSWhen there are 50 copies printed is it the practice of the Admiralty to keep a record of the number issued to each individual member?
§ Mr. McKENNAI will inquire. I think it probably would be.
§ Mr. BELLAIRSWill the right hon. Gentleman ascertain the exact distribution of the 50 copies of this letter which have been circulated?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have asked for the exact distribution, but nobody knows how the letter left the Admiralty.
§ Mr. BELLAIRSI meant the distribution at the Admiralty.
§ Mr. McKENNAI should think 45 out of 50. At least, they were there.