HC Deb 28 April 1915 vol 71 cc707-8
24. Mr. RONALD McNEILL

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any Government contracts have been given to a German named Kuchnrich, residing at Holly Court, near Sheffield; whether this man owns or controls the business where Julius Wurscher, an enemy alien of military age, was employed until his recent conviction for an offence against the Defence of the Realm Act; if he is aware that it was Kuchnrich who paid the fine of £100 inflicted on Wurscher for that offence; whether Kuchnrich has procured the release of certain interned alien enemies of military age, including one Klein, who falsely represented himself to be of Swiss nationality; whether any aliens so released have been permitted to leave the country; and whether any investigation has been made as to the antecedents and character of Kuchnrich?

Mr. TENNANT

Small quantities of a special steel have been obtained from the London agents of a firm in which Kuchnrich is interested, but this steel is now being obtained from other sources. It is, I believe, the case that Kuchnrich controls the firm for which Wurscher was working. I have no means of knowing whether the firms was paid by Kuchnrich or not. The Department has no knowledge of Kuchnrich having procured the release of interned aliens. As I have said before, it is not desirable to state in public the steps taken in any individual case of this character, but the hon. Member may rest assured that all necessary investigations are made in these cases.

Mr. McNEILL

May I ask whether, in point of fact, any steps have been taken against this man, who has been deemed locally to be an extremely dangerous person?

Mr. TENNANT

That really is to what I was referring in the last paragraph of my answer. It is not really desirable to state the steps which have been taken, but I would ask the hon. Gentleman to rest assured that all necessary steps are taken.

Mr. McNEILL

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the public outside are extremely reluctant to take those assurances for granted?

Mr. TENNANT

All I can say in answer to that is that I regret it extremely if the hon. Gentleman is correct in his diagnosis of the actual public outside, and I can only deprecate it and assure the public outside that there is no ground for that kind of alarm at all.