§ 21. Mr. GINNELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War, seeing that there is no difference in substance between the principles, opinions, and advice contained in "l'Independance Belge" with reference to Belgium and the principles, opinions, and advice with reference to Ireland for which "Irish Freedom" and "Sinn Fein" have been suppressed, whether he will state the reason for this difference of treatment under the Defence of the Realm Act; whether the military authorities hold the merit or demerit of free opinion to depend on the country to which it relates or on the country in which it is published; and whether they are prepared to accord to an Irish Nationalist newspaper published in London the same measure of freedom that they are now according to "l'Indépendance Belge"?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe action of the military authorities in regard to publications circulating in the United Kingdom is governed by the Defence of the Realm Regulations, and the hon. Member may rest assured that newspapers containing matter contravening those Regulations will receive equality of treatment at their hands wherever they may be published.
§ Mr. GINNELLThe right hon. Gentleman has not accounted for the actual difference in practice, which is really the point of the question?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am informed there is no such difference as the hon. Gentleman fears. There is equality of treatment.
§ 22. Mr. GINNELLasked the Under-Secretary of State for War by whom the duty of censoring the Press on behalf of the military authorities is discharged in Ireland; how it happened that the printing machinery of Patrick Mahon was seized and taken to Dublin Castle for having printed the "Irish Worker," a paper which Mahon never at any time printed; what compensation has been paid for the loss and injury thereby caused; and whether he will specify the provision of the Act under which the issue is prevented of a paper which has not transgressed the Act by proceedings against a paper never printed in that office?
§ Mr. TENNANTThe competent naval or military authority is the person empowered under the Defence of the Realm Consolidation Regulations to take steps to prevent or deal with offences against the Regulations. The seizure of certain parts of the printing machinery belonging to Mr. Mahon was carried out in pursuance of the power thus vested in the competent authority because the machinery was being used for the printing of a newspaper which contravened the Regulations referred to. Those parts of the question based on the assumption that the offending newspaper was not printed by him accordingly do not arise. No compensation has been or will be paid to Mr. Mahon.
§ Mr. GINNELLCan the right hon. Gentleman say what is the newspaper in connection with which this seizure was made?
§ Mr. TENNANTDo you mean its name?
§ Mr. GINNELLYes.
§ Mr. TENNANTI believe its name was "Scissors and Paste."