§ 37. Mr. KINGasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a Russian subject, Peter Petroff, has been interned on a warrant of the Home Office for the duration of the War; whether any charge has been or will be preferred against him; and whether his internment is due to the denunciation or evidence of persons other than the police?
§ 56. Mr. KINGasked whether a Russian subject, Peter Petroff, is now interned in Edinburgh Castle together with German prisoners of war; whether any charge has been preferred against him in connection with the cause of internment; and, if his internment is to be for any length of time, whether it is intentional that he is not being interned with others of his own nationality?
Mr. McKINNON WOODMy right hon. Friend has asked me to answer these questions. Petroff has been interned under an order of the Secretary for Scotland under Regulation 14B of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, to the terms of which I would refer my hon. Friend. His case has been considered and his appeal refused by the Scottish Advisory Committee. He is at present detained in Edinburgh Castle, pending a decision as to his final place of internment.
§ Mr. KINGWill the right hon. Gentleman not consider whether civil trial could not be extended in this case, especially in view of his being a Russian subject and opposed to Prussian militarism?
§ 39. Mr. R. McNEILLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will say what are the several classes of friendly race or sympathies who are technically of German nationality other than persons of French race from Alsace-Lorraine; and how many of the 14,000 un-interned alien enemies technically of German nationality belong to such classes?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Herbert Samuel)In addition to the natives of Alsace-Lorraine there are Poles and a few natives of Schleswig-Holstein and of Heligoland, and there are also aliens of German race but friendly sympathies, e.g., those who have been long established here or in an allied country, sometimes from infancy, and have sons fighting for the Allies. I regret that I cannot give more detailed figures than those already furnished in answer to previous questions.
§ Mr. McNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the people of Holstein are distinctively of German race, and is there reason to suppose that their sympathies are opposed to Germany, and would not the same apply to many of the Poles?
§ Mr. SAMUELIt does apply to a considerable number of them, but each case is considered on its individual merits.
§ Mr. McNEILLThe right hon. Gentleman does not therefore assume that in the case of a member of one of those particular nationalities he is therefore friendly to this country and a subject for consideration?
§ Mr. SAMUELI do not assume that he is therefore friendly to this country, but it is assumed that he is therefore a subject for consideration, and the case is inquired into. He is not treated as in the case of a pure-bred German.
§ 40. Mr. McNEILLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will say for what reason some 3,700 male Germans and Austrians of military age, other than Czechs, Poles, Southern Slavs, and natives of Alsace-Lorraine, remain still uninterned, notwithstanding the announcement by the Government eight months ago that all such persons would be interned with as little delay as possible?
§ Mr. SAMUELIf the hon. Member will refer to the announcement of the Government's policy made by the Prime Minister on the 13th May and my predecessor on the 10th June, he will see that the internment of male alien enemies of military age was to be subject to exemption for special reasons on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee.