§ 33. Mr. GINNELLasked the Home Secretary whether the following books, sent several months ago to uptried Irish prisoners at Frongoch, and not then delivered, have since been delivered: a History of Ireland to J. O'Hanlon; an Irish grammar and three Irish text-books to Thomas M'Crave; AEsop's Fables in Irish and various other Irish books to Mortimer O'Connell; two Irish books, balance of parcel, to Martin Gleeson; Notes of an Irish Exile to W. J. Brennan; and the New Testament in Irish taken from Brian O'Higgins on 10th July; if he can now account for the fact that some of those undelivered books have since been offered for sale in London; and why loss and delay are not avoided by censoring Irish literature at Frongoch, as he promised last July to do?
§ The SECRETARY OF STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Herbert Samuel)I fear I cannot give details about a number of individual books, but I have made inquiry, and am informed that some of the books mentioned by the hon. Member do not appear to have reached the camp at all, and that others, which the camp authorities think might possibly have been lost at the camp, have been replaced to the satisfaction of the recipients. With regard to the allegation that some undelivered books were offered for sale in London, I have made inquiry, as I promised the hon. Member on 26th October, but I am unable to find any trace of the book to which he then referred. As regards the last part of the question, a list of permitted Irish books was supplied some months ago to the Commandant at Frongoch, and books on that list are delivered to the prisoners without being sent to London. Other books in Irish have to be sent to London, as they cannot be censored at the camp.