§ 68. Mr. KINGasked the Home Secretary whether he will state the precise reasons which led to the refusal to allow about 100 British women to attend the International Women's Congress at The Hague; on what principle were the twenty women selected to whom permits to proceed to The Hague were granted; and whether it is the policy of the Govern- 567 ment to restrict the opportunities of inhabitants of this country to take part in international congresses?
69. Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Home Secretary whether he has selected the persons who are to attend the International Congress of Women to discuss terms of peace at Berne as representing various organisations and sections of thought; and whether the selection is to be taken as giving any official character either to the conference itself or to the delegates stated to have been selected by him?
§ Mr. McKENNAUpwards of 180 ladies applied for permits to leave for Holland with the object of attending the International Women's Congress at The Hague. The Foreign Office considered it very undesirable that so large a number from this country should attend a conference at a place so near the seat of war, and where it was known that agents of the enemy were making great efforts to obtain fragments of intelligence as to the movements of our ships and armies. I therefore refused the general grant of permits but agreed, after consulting the Foreign Office, to issue a limited number of permits, not exceeding in all twenty-four, to ladies representing various organisations and sections of thought. The selection of the twenty-four did not in any way give any official character cither to the conference itself or to the delegates. It is certainly not the policy of the Government to promote or encourage international congresses in present circumstances.
§ Mr. KINGWere all the permits given to representative women, or were not many given to women who went as individuals and not as representing organisations at all.?
§ Mr. McKENNATo the best of usability I selected representatives of organisations and well-known sections of thought. Of course, I had in every case to keep in view the fact that no person ought to be allowed to go who was in the least likely imprudently to give information to those seeking it.
§ Mr. McKENNANo, as since the permits were given all communication between this country and Holland has been stopped.
§ Mr. JONATHAN SAMUELDo we understand that in granting these permits the right hon. Gentleman demanded that these women should give a pledge of secrecy?
§ Mr. McKENNAI requested one of the ladies, and asked her to communicate the request to the others, that great caution should be exercised, that they should take care to have no written matter of any kind which it would be dangerous to have read, and that they should remember that they were in a country beset with foreign spies.
§ Mr. RONALD McNEILLWill the right hon. Gentleman say what induced him to depart from his first wise resolution?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe "first wise resolution" was to refuse to give 180 permits, on the ground that it was considered undesirable that so large a number should attend a conference at The Hague. The resolution did not cover a smaller number.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEWhat was the second wise resolution?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have already answered that question.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILIs it not a fact that no French women and no Russian women are attending this Conference? Would it not have been well to have prevented any English women from attending?
§ Mr. McKENNAI think that that question should be addressed to the Foreign Office.
§ Mr. SPEAKERPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will put his question on the Paper.