§ 5. Mr. MACMASTERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether British prisoners of War in Germany are subjected to insult because they are British: and whether they receive worse treatment than the Russian and French prisoners?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Mr. Tennant)From numerous communications received and reports of an officer who escaped there is reason to fear that this is a fact.
§ 6. Mr. MACMASTERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will say what are the conditions as to personal comforts of our soldiers and sailors interned in Holland; and if he has any official information showing that eleven officers are interned in a fortress, deprived of their swords, all sleeping in one room, and otherwise deprived of the ordinary comforts and amenities allowed to prisoners of war?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Neil Primrose)The conditions at the camp at Groningen, where most of the British Force interned in Holland are confined, seem to be fairly satisfactory. Thirty-eight British officers are confined in a fortress near Bodegraven, the accommodation at which appears to be cramped, and has been the subject of complaints. The Dutch Government has given assurances that they will do everything in their power to improve these conditions.
§ 19. Mr. YERBURGHasked whether the English patients at Nauheim who were under treatment there for heart and nerve complaints, and afterwards were interned at Ruhleben, are still imprisoned there; if so, whether the Government have taken any and, if so, what steps to secure their release?
Mr. PRIMROSEIt is believed that of the patients at Nauheim those who are entitled to release under the agreements concluded with the German Government have been allowed to leave. Germany. An exception has, however, been made in the case of retired naval or military officers, whom the German Government refuse to consider as being entitled to benefit by these agreements, maintaining that they must be treated as officers prisoners of war. It is not possible to say how many of the Nauheim patients are at Ruhleben as (a) no full list of the prisoners at that camp has been received, although asked for (b) all persons returning from Germany do not, invariably, report their return to the Foreign Office, and (c) some hundreds of British subjects are stated by the German Government to have recently been released from Ruhleben. The names of these persons have been asked 548 for, but have not yet been received. His Majesty's Government requested the intervention of the United States Ambassador on 11th September last with a view to securing the release of these Nauheim patients. His Majesty's Government are continuing their efforts on behalf of the invalids and the retired officers and are pressing this matter by such means as they can.
§ 21. Sir EDWARD COATESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can state whether there are any British subjects in Berlin of military age who are not interned; and, if so, how many; and, if he has no information on the subject, would he make inquiries through the American Ambassador to Germany?
Mr. PRIMROSEAccording to a recent note from the United States Ambassador, the German Government have stated that a number of male British subjects over 17 years of age are left at liberty in Germany, and that of the British subjects interned at Ruhleben several hundreds have been released. The United States Ambassador has been requested to endeavour to furnish His Majesty's Government with a list of the persons who are at liberty.
§ Mr. BUTCHERCan the hon. Gentleman give me the approximate number of those who have been interned and those who have not?
Mr. PRIMROSEI am afraid that I cannot because I understand we have not received this information as to those who are not interned.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSIs the number who have not been interned at all comparable to the number who have not been interned in this country?