§ 2. Mr. RONALD M'NEILLasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any Reports were made to the Foreign Office by British naval or military attaches in Germany between 1st January, 1913, and 1st August, 1914, relating to the strength or condition of the German services or to German preparations for war; and, if so, will he lay them upon the Table of the House?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Neil Primrose)During the period referred to the British naval and military attachés at Berlin reported, as usual, upon the organisation and strength of the German navy and army, as occasion arose. These Reports are dealt with in the War Office and Admiralty respectively. I do not know what useful purpose would be served by publishing them.
§ 58. Major ARCHER-SHEEasked whether a Blue Book may now be published containing the principal Reports from His Majesty's Ambassadors, Military Attachés, Consuls, etc., relating to the military preparation and aggressive designs of Germany during the years 1912, 1913, and 1914, to the outbreak of the War?
Mr. PRIMROSEThe preparation of such a Blue Book would entail much extra labour on the Foreign Office, War Office, and Admiralty. The various Reports received would have to be collected and examined by all those Departments, and publication could not help in the progress of the War, and the staffs of the Departments, which are now and have been for six months working under great pressure, could not, without prejudice to other work, undertake this at the moment.