§ 50. Mr. GINNELLasked the Prime Minister, with reference to the request of the Secretary of State for War that men refusing to enlist be asked to state their reasons, whether he is aware that, for stating his reasons, William Moloney has been arrested at Limerick Junction, kept in military custody some time without trial, then tried by a civil Court under the Act of Edward III., and bound to the peace; whether this is the method of dealing with men's reasons in this country; whether the Irish practice will be introduced in England or the English practice in Ireland; and whether he has sanctioned the Irish practice as a due carrying out of 1932 his pledge, given in Dublin, that recruits were desired only as the free gift of a free people?
61. The HON. MEMBERalso asked the Under-Secretary of State for War, seeing that men desired for the Army are now asked their reasons for refusing to join and that in Ireland all such reasons are obnoxious to recruiting agents, what instructions have been given to guide those agents in Ireland as to reasons admissible, inadmissible, and offences under the Defence of the Realm Act, respectively; and whether the reason that Ireland is entitled to be neutral like Holland and the other small nations nearer to the seat of war is classed in the third of these categories?
§ Mr. TENNANTMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer question No. 50, and I will at the same time answer No. 61. I am afraid the hon. Gentleman is labouring under a misconception. No special instructions have been issued to Irish recruiting agents as to their attitude to reasons advanced by men for not enlisting, and I am not aware that their attitude in the matter has been otherwise than perfectly correct. I have no information regarding the case of William Moloney, but, if he has been arrested, I imagine it must have been for something else than the fact that he stated his reasons for not enlisting.
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether this practice in Ireland carries out the pledge given by the Prime Minister that recruits were desired only as the free gift of a free people?
§ Mr. TENNANTCertainly!
§ Mr. GINNELLWill the right hon. Gentleman say to which category the reason belongs. Is not Ireland entitled to be neutral, like Holland?
§ Mr. TENNANTI really am at a loss to know how any part of this country is entitled to be neutral, seeing that we are engaged in war.
§ Mr. GINNELLThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my question as to why the reasons given by this man were treated in the manner they were?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe question makes my brain reel.
§ Mr. GINNELLIs it in accordance with the Defence of the Realm Act?
§ Mr. TENNANTI do not think the hon. Gentleman is quite accurate in his information.
§ Mr. GINNELLIs it an offence, under the Defence of the Realm Act, for an Irishman to refuse to enlist on the ground that his country is entitled to be neutral?
§ Mr. TENNANTIt is not an offence against the Defence of the Realm Act to refuse to enlist.
§ Mr. GINNELLOn that ground?