HC Deb 04 December 1916 vol 88 cc637-8
34 and 35. Mr. DILLON

asked the Home Secretary (1) whether the Home Office is responsible for the policy of attempting to seize Irish political prisoners interned in Great Britain for complicity in the recent insurrection in Ireland and compel them under the Military Service Act to join the British Army; and (2) whether it was with his authority that the attempt was made in Frongoch Camp to force the Irish prisoners to aid the military authorities to identify their comrades for the purpose of arresting them under the Military Service Act; and whether the refusal of the prisoners to aid in identifying their comrades was the breach of discipline which has led to all the trouble in the camp?

Mr. SAMUEL

A small number of the prisoners detained at Frongoch had been resident in England and came within the provisions of the Military Service Act. The fact that they had taken part in the Irish insurrection in no way relieved them from those obligations, and when the military authority called them for service it had necessarily to be decided that they should be released from internment for that purpose. As I stated in the House of Commons on 16th November in answer to a question put to me by the hon. Member for the Harbour Division, a number of the men at Frongoch refused to answer their names when the roll was called and otherwise combined to conceal the identity of certain persons who were charged with the evasion of military service, and consequently it was found necessary to take disciplinary measures.

Mr. DILLON

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is not the fact that the hut commandants in the camp were informed by the commandant that the roll call was for the purpose of identifying these men, and were they not thereby informed that they were acting as informers and assisting in getting their comrades arrested?

Mr. SAMUEL

I believe that the commandant did inform the men the reason before taking the roll call.

Mr. DILLON

He must be very ignorant of Irishmen if he thought that they would give the information.

Mr. BYRNE

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that over 300 men are in the South Camp at present being punished for this offence, and can he say when they are to be released from that unhealthy camp?

Mr. SAMUEL

I am not sure whether they have been returned to North Camp or not, but I do not admit that South Camp is unhealthy.

Mr. DILLON

Owing to the extremely unsatisfactory reply, I shall raise this question on the Adjournment to-night.