§ 2. Mr. PETOasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether he has been able to do anything to ensure prisoners of war and interned prisoners in Germany receiving treatment more nearly approximately to that accorded to German prisoners in this country, and to get the prohibition, placed upon many necessary articles of food and clothing, as well as tobacco, sent in parcels from this country to prisoners in various camps in Germany, removed?
Mr. PRIMROSEI would refer the hon. Member to White Paper, Miscellaneous No. 7 (1915), and to the letter from the United States Ambassador at Berlin to the United States Ambassador in London of 27th March, which appeared in the Press on 7th April.
Sir HENRY DALZIELI desire to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs a question, of which I have given him private notice, namely, whether the Government have taken or intend to take any action in regard to the declared intention of the German Government to treat British officers as ordinary prisoners in reprisal for our treatment of submarine murderers?
Mr. PRIMROSEOn seeing a paragraph on this subject yesterday, we requested Mr. Page to telegraph to Mr. Gerard to find out what truth there was in this report. We have not yet had a reply. If this report is true we can only 4 hope that these prisoners are being treated as well as the captured crews of submarines are in this country.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILI desire to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs a question of which I have given him private notice, namely, whether there are still any English doctors, Military or Civil, held as prisoners by the Germans, if so, how many, and what steps the Government propose to take to secure their release?
Mr. PRIMROSEIt is believed that there are only three British subjects who claim to be entitled to release as doctors now detained in Germany. Representations on their behalf have been made through the United States Ambassador. According to the latest available information, the number of military doctors still detained in Germany is fifty. Of these, thirty-five have been officially reported as prisoners through the United States Ambassador, and fifteen unofficially. The White Paper which has been laid upon the Table of the House shows what steps have been taken to secure the release of these prisoners.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILI desire to ask the same hon. Gentleman a further question, namely, whether it is the fact that prisoners in hospital in Germany as patients or doctors are not allowed to write to their relatives freely, and, if so, what are the alleged reasons for this regulation?
Mr. PRIMROSEI have no information to show that prisoners in hospital are treated differently than other prisoners of war in the matter of correspondence, but inquiries have been made through the United States Ambassador on this point.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILIs the hon. Gentleman aware that a particular doctor who is detained to attend British prisoners has, through the commandant of the hospital, informed his wife that he is not allowed to write?
§ Lord ROBERT CECILI sent the letter.