§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Balfour)I have, with Mr. Speaker's permission, to make a very brief statement to the House. I should like to inform the House that within the last few days a German submarine has been sunk and that of her crew six officers and twenty-one men have been taken prisoners. As this raises again the question of the treatment of German submarine prisoners, in which the House has shown considerable interest, it might be convenient if I made a short statement on the subject. It will be within the knowledge of the House, from an answer given by my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty on the 29th April, that there is not, and for some weeks has not been, any substantial difference between the treatment of German submarine prisoners and other prisoners of war. As there seems, however, to be some doubt in the public mind on this subject, I desire to say on behalf of the Government that arrangements are being made, under which the treatment will not be merely substantially, but absolutely identical.
This does not, I need scarcely say, indicate any change of opinion as to the character of the acts in which these prisoners 268 have been concerned. We hold not merely that these practices are in flagrant contradiction both of the letter and the spirit of the laws of war, but that they are in themselves mean, cowardly and brutal. It must, however, be remembered that the submarine attacks on defenceless vessels are very far from being the only violation of the laws of humanity of which the Germans have been guilty. The Government are, therefore, of opinion that the submarine problem cannot be treated in isolation, and that the general question of personal responsibility should be reserved until the end of the War.
Mr. CATHCART WASONArising out of that statement, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will at once take means, by the courtesy of the American Embassy, to make that information known to the German Government, so as to do away with all excuse for the horrible treatment of these nineteen prisoners, who are subjected to solitary confinement and only allowed an hour or two a day for exercise, and so that they may be put in the same position they were in before?
§ Mr. BALFOURI will at once communicate with the Foreign Office in order to carry out the object the hon. Gentleman has in view.