§ 20. Sir G. YOUNGERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to a statement made in the " Hamburger Nach- 1616 richten " of 8th November to the general effect that in July, 1913, a secret meeting of the Privy Council, attended by His Majesty King George, was held in London at which war with Germany was advocated after a discussion in which the late Prime Minister, Lord Kitchener, Lord Grey of Falloden, Lord Lansdowne, Lord Morley, and others took part; and whether he is in a position to confirm or deny this statement?
Mr. BALFOURYes, my attention has been called to the report of which my hon. Friend gives a concise account. Though its falsehood must be plain to everyone acquainted with public life in this country, I have thought it well to make explicit inquiries, for the benefit of those who have no such knowledge. Let me say, then, that His Majesty the King grants me permission to state on his authority that no such meeting was held. Lord Kitchener was not a member of the Privy Council at that date, while the late Prime Minister, Lord Grey of Falloden, Lord Morley of Blackburn, and Lord Lansdowne all assure me that there is not a vestige of truth in the story.
Who the author of this clumsy fiction may be I know not, but he has certainly contrived to adorn his work with every circumstance of improbability and absurdity which German thoroughness could collect or imagine.