HC Deb 21 May 1910 vol 116 cc374-6
40 Captain ORMSBY-GORE

asked the Secretary of State for Was (1) whether, with a view to laying at rest doubts which have been expressed in the public Press as to the conduct of the late Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener in France during the operations which preceded the victory of the Marne in 1914, he will arrange to lay upon the Table of this House copies of the instructions given by the then Government to Lord Kitchener when they sent him to. Paris to see Field-Marshal Lord French, together with a copy of the letter written by Lord French after the meeting of the two Field-Marshals in Paris;

  1. (2) Whether, in the opinion of the legal advisers of the Army Council, the articles recently published in the "Daily Telegraph" dealing with military operations in 1914, contain in formation and statements, the publication of which constitutes an offence against the Official Secrets Act or the Army Act, or both; if so, whether legal proceedings will be taken against the proprietors and publishers of the "Daily Telegraph";
  2. (3 Whether the articles recently published in the "Daily Telegraph" on the conduct of the War in 1914 contain statements at variance with the official dispatch of Lord French on those operations, more especially in regard to the conduct of General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien; whether Lord French's official dispatch was in any way altered by the War Office before publication; and whether the Army Council will now give permission to General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien to publish a reply to such charges now made against him in the "Daily Telegraph" as were not made in the official dispatch referred to above?

Captain GUEST

In my right hon. Friend's absence in Paris, I have had no opportunity of consulting him with regard to these three questions. They appear to me to raise matters which cannot suitably be dealt with in the form of an answer to a question, more particularly in the absence of the Secretary of State. Mean while, I am not in a position to add any thing to the statement which my right hon. Friend made on Monday, the 12th instant.

Sir E. CARSON

May I ask whether there will be any opportunity given to discuss this?

HON. MEMBERS

Ormsby-Gore!

Captain ORMSBY-GORE

Am I to understand that these questions will be put down when the Secretary of State for War returns from Paris?

Captain GUEST

I shall be very glad if the hon. Member will do so.

Mr. WATERSON

May I ask the Leader of the House, as a result of this question, if the publication of these secret Acts is not an offence against the Defence of the Realm Act?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member should give notice of that question, which is a question of law.