§ 38. Mr. SNOWDENasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to make a statement in regard to the case of the two conscientious objectors who were recently arrested and sent into the Army, named. Pett and Jones, and especially with regard to the charges against the agent and foreman of the settlement?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Brace)The two men named have been arrested and returned to prison to complete the sentences passed on them by courts-martial and, at the end of their sentences, they will be recalled to military service. Their arrest was recommended, after full consideration, by the Committee on Employment of Conscientious Objectors, because they failed to comply with one of the conditions on which they were released, namely, that they should work with diligence and fidelity in the employment found for them by the Committee. The only charges against the agent of which I am aware relate to his efforts to secure a reasonable standard of conduct and industry among the men working under him, and he has the entire confidence of the Committee.
§ Mr. SNOWDENHave any inquiries been made into any offence on the part of the foreman as apart from the agent, seeing that in this case charges were made against the foreman and not against the agent?
§ Mr. BRACEUpon the advice given me and from the reports I have obtained I should say that exactly the same charges were made against the foreman as against the agent.
§ Mr. SNOWDENAre the reports which the hon. Gentleman has just read the 23 reports furnished by the agent and the foreman—that is, by the person against whom charges are made?
§ Mr. BRACEWhen any complaint is made and before any action is taken a report is asked for from the agent or foreman or anybody else involved. If the Committee is not to have confidence in its officials, in whom can they have confidence?
§ Mr. SNOWDENDid the Committee consider the charges made by these men before sending them in?
§ Mr. BRACEI am satisfied myself that there was ground for the recalling of these men, and I have no apology to offer on behalf of the Committee for recalling them.
Mr. SNOWENAm I to assume, therefore, that these men have never been asked for their side of the question?
§ Mr. BRACEThese men have sent their side of the question. We have heard all that they have to say. If the hon. Member will only raise the matter in Debate, I shall be glad to tell him that these conscientious objectors are not the angels he thinks they are, and that it is only with the utmost difficulty that a large number of them will do anything like reasonable work.
§ 76. Sir WILLIAM BYLESasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether Emanuel Ribeiro is still confined to Lord Derby's War Hospital near Warrington for conscience' sake; whether he is still being forcibly fed; whether he is in solitary confinement in a very cold bed room and has to stay in bed all day to keep warm; is he denied the visits of friends and not allowed to leave his room even to go to the lavatory; whether he is aware that he has a wife and five young children at home and whether, under the Military Service Act, he is entitled to complete exemption?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI have now received a report on this case. Ribeiro is still in the Lord Derby War Hospital, and is being forcibly fed and occasionally forcibly washed. The room in which he is confined is not cold, but is heated by hot-water pipes. He stays in bed because he will not get up. He is allowed visits from his wife. He has no exemption from combatant service on conscientious grounds.