§ 6. Mr. LYNCHasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he can state to the House the circumstances that led to the raid on the offices of "Britannia"; whether he can indicate any steps taken consequent upon the operation; and, if not, whether the journal will be given facilities to appear as formerly?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIn answer to the first and second parts of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for North Somerset on the 15th instant. I cannot hold out any hope that this journal will be given facilities to appear, while it persists in publishing matter detrimental to British interests.
§ Mr. SNOWDENIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the paper is actually appearing and that copies have been sent to Members of this House?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI have no knowledge of that.
§ Mr. LYNCHIs this what may be described as an ultra-patriotic paper, and is this to be taken as Sir William Robertson's reply to Mackcnsen's raid on Roumania?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONSir William Robertson has nothing to do with suppressing this paper. It is because of outrageous attacks on high public officials.
§ Mr. WARDLEIs it a fact that it is suppressed, as I received a copy only this morning?
§ Mr. PRINGLEIf this paper has made outrageous attacks on highly-placed officials can the Government not take the ordinary legal course of prosecuting the 1144 proprietors and printers and so have them, brought to justice rather than force those people to circulate the paper in a clandestine way?