Sir HENRY DALZIELI beg to ask the Home Secretary a question, of which I have given him private notice, namely: Whether it is the case that he has now issued a compulsory Order calling on hotel proprietors and boarding-house keepers to keep a register of every alien enemy visitor; and can he state what information, if any, has come into his possession calling for such an Order, having regard to the fact that it was not considered necessary to issue it at an earlier period of the War.
§ Mr. McKENNAMy right hon. Friend refers, no doubt, to the Order in Council of 13th April. The object of that Order is not so much to deal with alien enemies, who from the first day of the War have been required to register with and report their movements to the police, but to secure means of tracing the movements of all other aliens also. The Order was made on a recommendation of a Sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence. It is not desirable to state the information on which they based their recommendations.
Sir H. DALZIELMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether information has reached him to-day that 400 German butchers have been refused meat in Smithfield; whether it is the case that many shops have been smashed; and whether he is taking any precaution to protect the hotels which are employing a German staff, such as the Charing Cross Hotel?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have not had any such information as has been referred to by my right hon. Friend, but I will make inquiries.
Sir H. DALZIELI beg to give notice that I shall call attention to this matter at the very earliest opportunity.