§ 9. Mr. PENNEFATHERasked the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs on what date a passport was issued to Miss Emily Hobhouse; if any particular destination was mentioned therein, and, if so, what destination; were there any limitations therein, and, if so, what limitations; whether Miss Hobhouse gave any reasons for requiring a passport, and, if so, what were the reasons given by her?
§ Lord R. CECILMiss Hobhouse was—given a passport on 5th March, 1915, to travel to Italy, where she stated that she—wished to go for the benefit of her health. The lady having returned to this country, her passport was, on 29th November, 1915, furnished with a visa by the military permit office entitling her to proceed once more to Italy. She made a stay in Switzerland both on the outward and' homeward journeys, though she appears to have made no mention of any such intention when applying for the visa to leave this country. There was no limitation on the use of the passport specified in the document itself, except in so far as the mention of destination amounts to such.
§ Mr. ASHLEYMay we assume then that this lady obtained the passport under false pretences?
§ Lord R. CECILEveryone must draw his own conclusions from the answer I have given.
§ Lord R. CECILI imagine Miss Hobhouse will not be allowed again to leave the country.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEHas the Noble Lord's attention been drawn to a report in the "Times" yesterday that six Russian ladies have been received by the German Empress, and is there any particular reason why an English lady should' not go to inspect camps in Germany?
§ Mr. BUTCHERIs there no means of bringing to justice a lady who goes abroad for the purpose of betraying her country?
§ Lord R. CECILMy hon. and learned Friend will see that that is not a question which it is possible for the Foreign Office to answer. He may, if he desires, put it to the legal advisers of the Crown.
§ Mr. TREVELYANIs it not the case that immediately on her return to this—country Miss Hobhouse offered to give every possible information she had to the Government?
§ Lord R. CECILI do not know anything about that, but I know that the general opinion of the House—and I believe of the country—is that Miss Hobhouse's activities have not been in the interests of this country.
§ 12. Mr. RONALD McNEILLasked the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether any record is preserved of the particular circumstances under which passports for the Continent are granted to individual British subjects; if so, will he say on what representations by Miss Emily Hobhouse was a passport for Switzerland granted to her; whether she obtained a further passport from a British Consulate in Switzerland; and, if so, under what circumstances and on what representations by her was such passport obtained?
§ Lord R. CECILThe papers on which passports are granted at the Foreign Office are preserved. The passport which was in the possession of Miss Emily Hob-house was not issued for Switzerland, but for Italy, in March, 1915. It was issued on representations that the visit to Italy was necessary for reasons of health. The passport issued to her at Berne was for a direct return to this country only, and was given for that specific purpose.
§ Mr. McNEILLBy what methods did she obtain leave from the Government to go to Germany?
§ Lord R. CECILIt is impossible for me to say. She must have done that, of course, through the German authorities, and not through any intervention of the British.
§ Mr. McNEILLDoes that require any sanction by the authorities of Switzerland?
§ Lord R. CECILThat will be a matter for the German Government, I presume. She would have to satisfy the German authorities that she was authorised to center Germany. It has nothing to do with the British.
§ Mr. BILLINGWhen she applied to have her passport visé did she give any reason for visiting Italy? Was it again for her health?
§ Lord R. CECILThe application for a visé would not come to the Foreign Office, as I understand it. The Permit Office grants the visé, and I am not quite sure whether the Permit Office is under the Home Office or the War Office—probably the Home Office, in accordance with directions given by the War Office.
§ Mr. BILLINGWill some arrangement be made so that this sort of thing shall not occur again?
§ Lord R. CECILIt is a very rare case, I am glad to think. The hon. Member will understand that when a passport is issued in the ordinary course it is valid for two years. When the immediate object of the journey is accomplished and the owner of the passport returns, before he or she can leave this country again he or she has to obtain a visé from the Permit Office. That is a matter which, strictly speaking, is not under the control of the Foreign Office. Once they have granted their passport their function, as I understand, is at an end.
§ 13. Mr. R. McNEILLasked what particulars are required to be given by an applicant for passports to the Continent with respect to the purpose of the intended journey and the places or countries he intends to visit; which, if any, of such particulars have to be endorsed on the passport either before leaving England or in the course of travel; whether any undertaking is required to be given by the applicant limiting the scope of his travel after arrival on the Continent; whether any precautions are taken to prevent him entering territory belonging to or occupied by the enemy or having communication or dealings with the enemy; and whether it is a punishable offence to obtain a passport by false statements relating to any of these matters?
§ Lord R. CECILApplicants for passports are required to state the country to which they desire to travel and the purpose of the journey, and the country concerned is endorsed on the passport. The destination and purpose of journey are again inquired into by the military authorities when the passport is presented to the Permit Office for the necessary visa, and such particulars are incorporated in the visa if granted. After arrival at the stated destination, journeys to other countries would depend upon they regulations locally in force. Permission to travel to enemy territory would certainly not be given by His Majesty's Government, who would take every precaution in their power to prevent such a proceeding if they had any reason to anticipate it. False statements in the declaration made by an applicant for a passport would constitute a punishable offence.