§ 57. Sir WILLIAM BYLESasked the Prime Minister whether he noticed that Monday's Order Paper contained twenty-five questions on the subject of conscientious, objectors; whether lie has acquainted himself with the accumulating evidence that large numbers of men are suffering punishments of great severity and even brutality for conscience' sake; whether, as this wholesale resistance to law is bringing the Military Service Acts into contempt, he will, as the head of the Government, devise some different and more rational method of dealing with these objectors; and whether the promises held out that they would be handed for punishment to the civil and not to the military authorities will now be fulfilled?
§ 58 Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Prime Minister (1) whether, in the national interest and to prevent the military authorities being hampered in the exercise of their ordinary duties, the Government will give orders that no more men who because of their conscientious objection to all military service have felt compelled to decline all military orders shall be sent to France; (2) whether he is aware that the difficulties connected with the treatment of conscientious objectors now undergoing sentence of imprisonment in the Army for offences against discipline are steadily increasing; what steps are to be taken by the Government to bring about a settlement of this controversy and so stop the persecution for religious conviction which is now being carried out in this country and in France; (3) whether arrangements are being made whereby all men who have been sentenced by court-martial in France for resisting military orders on conscientious grounds shall be immediately sent back to England and referred to a civil prison; and (4) whether he is aware that dissatisfaction is felt with the administration of Army Order 179, whereby a soldier who is sentenced to imprisonment for an offence against discipline as a result of a conscientious objection to military service will be committed to the nearest public civil prison; whether he is aware that at certain barracks men so offending are being kept back from court-martial by continuous detention; whether he will consider the possibility of making arrangements whereby such 1014 men without going through a period of detention can be immediately brought up before a court-martial and by it referred to a civilian prison; and whether it is proposed to establish a special tribunal to deal with such cases?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe procedure to be adopted by the War Office in the cases of soldiers, under Army Order X, of 25th May, 1916, sentenced to imprisonment for refusing to obey orders, is as follows:
The first step is to sift out the cases where there is primâ facie evidence to show that the offence was the result of conscientious objection to military service. For this purpose all court-martial proceedings on conscientious objectors will be referred for scrutiny to the War Office. With regard to the cases of those who have been before a tribunal, the records will be consulted. If the data therein are not sufficient further investigation will be made; answers to categorical questions will be required, and those who have knowledge of the man's antecedents, such as ministers of religion, may be consulted. With regard to those who have never been before a tribunal the first step will be to require them to answer the categorical questions which the tribunal might have put. If the information is supplied investigation will be made into those answers, and for the purpose of such investigation, and in all cases where a primâ facie case is established the. Army Council will depend on the advice of the Central Appeal Tribunal, or a Committee of that tribunal who have consented to lend their assistance for this purpose—they are a purely civil body, and we are grateful for their consent to add this to their duties. If the information is refused, and in all cases where the plea is not sustained, the prisoner will remain under military control, his sentence will at once be commuted to detention, and he will be sent to a detention barrack to undergo his sentence.
The men who are held to be genuine conscientious objectors will be released from the civil prison on their undertaking to perform work of national importance under civil control. They will be transferred pro forma to Section W of the Army lleserve, and they will cease to be subject to military discipline or the Army Act so long as they continue to carry out satisfactorily the duties imposed upon them. The Home Secretary has appointed a Committee, consisting of Mr. W. Brace, M.P., 1015 Sir Thomas Elliott, K.C.B., and Sir Matthew Nathan, G.C.M.G., who are now engaged on the work of determining to what kind of work these men should be set and under what conditions, and to take the executive action which is necessary.
Perhaps I may add to that statement two general propositions which I hope may receive universal assent. The first is that all men whose objections to active military service are founded on honest conviction ought to be and will be able to avail themselves of the exemption which Parliament has provided. And, in the second place, it is necessary that men who put forward objections of this kind as a pretext and a cloak to cover their indifference in responding to the national call, and are therefore guilty of the double offence of cowardice and hypocrisy, should be treated as they ought to be treated, with the utmost rigour.
§ Mr. WHITEHOUSEWill the right hon. Gentleman give the House an early opportunity of discussing this statement?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think, perhaps, I may appeal to my hon. Friends to read my statement carefully in print. It will appear in the OFFICIAL REPORT to-morrow. It, after they have read it, there is still a general desire to discuss it, I shall be most anxious to provide an opportunity.
§ Colonel YATEWill the right hon. Gentleman take steps to deprive these men, whom he has just described as cowards and hypocrites, of their civil rights in the future?
§ Mr. KINGAre these men to be subjected to severe legal penalties for the crimes of cowardice and hypocrisy without any trial before their peers?
§ The PRIME MINISTEROn the contrary, the very object of the procedure which I have endeavoured to outline is to prevent the possibility of anything of the kind happening.
§ Admiral of the Fleet Sir HEDWORTH MEUXMay I ask the Prime Minister if there is one single sentence in Holy Writ which justifies the cowards who will not defend their women and children?
§ Mr. WHITEHOUSEWill the right hon. Gentleman, pending the adoption of the methods he has outlined, prevent the dispatch of any more conscientious objectors to France?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs far as I am concerned, and as far as the War Office is concerned, no soldier will be sent to France who we have good reason to believe is a conscientious objector.
§ Sir A. MARKHAMIs it the intention to deprive of their civil rights all men whom he has described as cowards and hypocrites? The Prime Minister nodded his head in reply to my hon. Friend (Colonel Yate). I ask the question in order that his reply may appear on the records of the House.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI did not know I nodded my head. If so, it was done unconsciously.
§ 14. Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the case of Walter Robinson, of Middlesbrough, who, notwithstanding the fact that he had been given exemption conditional upon finding work of national importance under the Pelham Committee, was on 18th June charged for failing to report himself under the Military Service Act and fined 40s. and handed over to the military authorities; whether he proposes to communicate with the magistrate about the matter; and whether he will take steps to have the fine remitted?
Mr. SAMUELI have not heard of the case, but I will make inquiry if my hon. Friend will let me know what Court or magistrate dealt with the case.
§ 41. Mr. GLANVILLEasked the Under-Secretary of State for War what was the reason for confining C. H. Norman, a conscientious objector detained at Wandsworth Detention Barracks, in a strait jacket from 24th May onward; and is it usual to so treat men who only passively resist compulsion?
§ Mr. TENNANTI am informed that C. H. Norman's punishment was in strict accordance with the "Rules for Detention Barracks and Military Prisons." These are statutory rules and are published by Messrs. Harrison and Sons, St. Martin's Lane, W.C.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs it strictly in accordance with these rules for a commandant 1017 to inform a prisoner that he has not the courage to commit suicide and to spit upon him?
§ Mr. TENNANTNo, Sir, those are not the facts.
§ Mr. SNOWDENMay I ask if it is not the fact, as proved by documents in possession of the War Office, that the commandant was dismissed from this place—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat question does not arise.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIt arises out of the right hon. Gentleman's answer.
§ 47. Mr. GLANVILLEasked the Prime Minister whether he will state what steps His Majesty's Government intend to take to stop the infliction of cruelties upon conscientious objectors; and will they issue orders making commanding officers responsible for any such occurring in their commands?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIn view of the provisions of Sections 37 (1) and 43 of the Army Act, which make ample provision for such contingencies, no further action is required.
§ 48. Mr. GLANVILLEasked the Prime Minister if he will cause instructions to be issued that all men who are prisoners through their conscientious objection to military service shall be at once transferred to civil prisons whether they are at present in detention barracks or in military prisons?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe provisions of Army Order No. 10 of the 25th May govern this case, unless a soldier is serving a sentence of detention, in which case his transference to a civil prison cannot be legally effected.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEDoes that mean that a man has to commit a more serious offence than that for which he has been sent to the detention camp in order to qualify for transference to a civil prison?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will deal with that point when we come to it.
§ 56. Mr. SNOWDENasked the Prime Minister if, in view of the number of cases of alleged brutal treatment by Army noncommissioned and commissioned officers of conscientious objectors, supported by the evidence of the victims and witnesses, and the repeated refusal of the War Office to have an independent inquiry made into 1018 the allegations, he will grant such an inquiry into a few selected cases which can be supplied to him?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIf my hon. Friend will be good enough to send me some of these cases I will consider whether any further investigation beyond that already announced by my right hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for War is necessary.
§ 66. Mr. ROWNTREEasked the Under-Secretary for War whether his attention has been called to the case of Walter Robinson, of 23, Clarendon Road, Middlesbrough, who was charged on 18th June at the Middlesbrough Police Court for failing to report himself under the Military Service Act; whether it is-correct that the local tribunal had given Robinson an exemption certificate conditionally upon his doing work under the Pelham Committee, and in this connection whether Robinson was negotiating with the Young Men's Christian Association; whether at the trial Captain Brissenden, the military representative, stated that the Pelham Committee was a voluntary institution for finding work for conscientious objectors, but that as far as he knew no employment had been found for any of these men; whether, after this statement, Robinson was fined 40s. and was ordered to be handed over to the military; and whether, in view of these facts, the War Office will give their military representative definite instructions as to the functions of the Pelham Committee appointed by the Board of Trade, and instruct the military authorities to refer Robinson to the Pelham Committee so that they may find him suitable civilian employment?
§ Mr. TENNANTI have no knowledge of the circumstances mentioned in the question, but inquiries are being made.