§ 12. Lord HUGH CECILasked the Home Secretary whether he has received a memorial from the justices of the peace for the county of Hertford, acting for the division of Buntingford, relating to a farm colony known as Libury Hall German Farm Colony; whether he has replied to that memorial; and, if so, what is the tenor of his reply.
§ Mr. McKENNAThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The receipt of the memorial was acknowledged, but I have not been able to send a final reply as the matter is still under the consideration of the Destitute Aliens Committee, to whom I referred the memorial. I may say, however, that most of the Germans in the colony have been removed, and there now remain only a few who are aged or infirm; and the question is being considered whether in future the colony should be used exclusively for this class.
13. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked whether any steps have been taken to secure that uncensored news coming into newspaper offices shall not be accessible to persons of alien enemy origin or sympathies?
§ Mr. McKENNAAll cables and telegrams are censored before they reach the newspaper offices. It is not possible to have a complete censorship of letters, or of news, brought by courier, but the newspapers submit to the Press Bureau any news the propriety of publishing which may be doubtful. English editors must be trusted not to give access to unpublished news to persons in sympathy with, the enemy.
§ 15. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Home Secretary how many alien enemies are now interned in the various concentration camps; and whether he can give any estimate of the number of alien enemies still at large?
§ Mr. McKENNAI am informed by the War Office that the number of alien enemies, other than prisoners taken in action or on merchant ships, interned in the various concentration camps is about 14,500. Comparing this number with the figures of adult male Germans, Austrians and Hungarians registered at the beginning of the War, I estimate that about 29,000 are at large.
§ 19 and 20. Mr. KINGasked the Home Secretary (1) whether exceptional treatment, including freedom from arrest, is being extended to certain alien enemies, who being of Polish race are certified by the Polish Information Committee; whether similar treatment has been or will be extended to other enemies, such as Alsatians, Holsteiners, and Trentine Italians, whose friendly dispositions to this country are vouched for by responsible persons; and (2) whether persons of British nationality are treated with greater leniency in Hungary than in other parts of the Dual Monarchy, and that the feeling in Hungary has for generations been, and still is, much more friendly towards Great Britain than in Austria or Prussia; and whether he will consider the granting to alien enemies who are Hungarian subjects of approved goodwill a correspondingly favourable treatment?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt is a matter of great difficulty to discriminate between races and to ascertain whether the sentiments of individuals are friendly or otherwise; but, so far as practicable, persons belonging to races friendly to the Allies who are themselves friendly are exempted from internment, and every consideration consistent with the law is shown them in the enforcement of the Aliens Restriction Act. I regret, however, that the circumstances of the present War do not justify the view that Hungarians can be regarded as generally friendly.