6. Mr. NEWDEGATEasked the Under-Secretary for War why casualties to officers of the same battalion occurring on the same day at the Dardanelles are not communicated to the newspapers on the same day, but, in some cases, with an interval of several days, although such casualties had been simultaneously communicated to the War Office?
§ Mr. TENNANTCases of this sort must necessarily occur. The Department is frequently not in possession of the names and addresses of the next of kin, and the Press announcement in such cases has to be deferred until the next of kin have been communicated with. I must again emphasise the fact that casualties are first communicated to those most directly concerned, namely, the wife, father, etc., and that the announcement cannot fittingly or decently be made to the public at large through the Press until the next of kin have been informed.