§ 45. Major M'MICKINGasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether a Return giving the names of German officers and men who have been captured by British troops and showing those who are wounded will be obtained, with a view to its publication in Germany, possibly through the good offices of the President of the United States of America, so that their relatives may be spared the unnecessary anxiety and distress from which many families in this country are suffering owing to the absence of news regarding British officers and men returned in the casualty lists as missing and in some instances as wounded and missing?
§ 51. Sir PHILIP MAGNUSasked whether, with a view to relieving the anxiety of the relatives both of English and German prisoners of war, arrangements can be made through the good 859 offices of the Embassy of the United States for an exchange of the names of such prisoners, with a report as to whether they are wounded or not?
§ Mr. TENNANTOn the outbreak of hostilities His Majesty's Government at once instituted a Prisoners of War Information Bureau, as provided by Article 14 of the Regulations respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land, and they are in a position to furnish lists of the German prisoners of war to the German Government. No such lists, however, will be furnished until an assurance of reciprocal treatment has been received. As I stated in a written reply to the hon. Member for the Enfield Division yesterday, every effort is being made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to bring about an interchange of information, so as to mitigate as much as possible the anxiety and distress which unfortunately exists.
§ Mr. JAMES HOPEHas anything more been heard of the large groups of civilian prisoners who were detained at the frontier near Breslau at the outbreak of the War?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am afraid I cannot give an answer to that. The hon. Member had better address his question to the Foreign Office.