§ 40. Mr. R. LAMBERTasked the Home Secretary whether any specific charges were placed before him against the Council for Civil Liberties to justify a raid upon its offices; and whether he will state why this raid was undertaken?
§ Sir G. CAVEThese premises were raided because it was suspected that they were being used for carrying on a propaganda in the interests of the enemy.
§ 41 Mr. R. LAMBERTasked the Home Secretary (1) why detectives for whose conduct he is responsible took from the offices of the National Council for Civil Liabilities Copies of Mill's " Liberty," the official reports of this House, and similar literature; whether he will state if the Government now proposes to prohibit the circulation and the ownership of such books; (2) whether he is aware that in the course of the recent raid at 28, Victoria Street, S.W., the only leaflets seized were copies of " A Reasonable Man's Peace," by H. G. Welis; that Mr. Wells wrote this after being allowed to visit the Italian, French, and British Fronts, that the leaflet is a reprint of an article in the " Daily News," and had been passed by the Censor for transmission abroad; whether he will explain the delay of over a week in returning this authorised leaflet to the owners; (3) whether he is aware that on or about 7th September, 1917, the secretary of the International Free Trade League submitted to the Censor at Strand House, Portugal Street, the only two publications hitherto issued by this league and that they were passed by the Censor and allowed to be sent to America; will he say why these leaflets have now been seized and detained; why the Censor's written permission has been taken away and not returned; and whether it is intended to prosecute in this case while destroying or detaining the written evidence relied on for a defence?
§ 66. Mr. KINGasked whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that copies of Lord Shaw of Dunfermline's judgment in the case of A. Zadig were seized and taken away during the police raid on the premises of the National Council for Civil Liberties on 21st November; and whether it is proposed to make it impossible to 1629 reprint and circulate judgments given in the Courts when those judgments are against the Government?
§ 69 and 74. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked (1) whether he is aware that in a raid recently effected on a private house at Redhill a number of leaflets advocating taxation of land values, and without any reference to the War, were taken away and have not been returned; whether it is the intention to suppress all advocacy of a method of taxation which could raise vast sums for national purposes and enable those who have fought for their country to have access to it; (2) whether his attention has been called to the fact that, on the occasion of the raid on the offices of the " Women's Crusade," an officer seized copies of a service of prayer because he saw the word peace in one of the prayers; and can he state whether any further steps have been taken in the matter of this document?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe large quantity of documents seized on the occasion of these raids may have included some not connected with enemy propaganda. These will be sorted out and returned to their owners as quickly as possible.
§ Mr. KINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that "A Reasonable Man's Peace" has already been passed by the Censor, and will he immediately have this leaflet returned?
§ Sir G. CAVEI am not aware that it has been passed by the Censor.
§ Mr. KINGWill the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries, because I have seen the Censor's signed copy?
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEIn view of the seizure of the service of prayer referred to in question 74, is he aware that the attention of the police authorities was drawn to the fact that it was a supplication for peace in the service of prayer addressed to this House, and will any action be taken?
§ Sir G. CAVENo, Sir; I believe there was a leaflet containing a prayer and other matters.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEWill the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiries as to whether, When this document was seized, it was pointed out to the officer that it was a service of prayer, and that he was not going to take it until he saw the word peace mentioned in it?
§ 72. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Home Secretary whether, on the occasion of the recent police raids in search of seditious literature, the offices of an organisation at 146, Queen Victoria Street, E.C., were visited; and, if so, can he state with what result?
§ Sir G. CAVENo, Sir.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEIn view of the fact that in these recent raids religious literature has been seized in other offices, why has immunity been granted as regards this office, which is the headquarters of the British and Foreign Bible Society?
§ 73. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Home Secretary whether a pamphlet or leaflet which consists solely of biblical quotations in support of peace and denouncing the methods of war has to be submitted to the Censor before publication?
§ Sir G. CAVEThis question is purely hypothetical, and I do not think I should give a reply to it until I see a leaflet which is of the character described.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEIn such a case of the leaflet being submitted to the Censor, how is the Regulation about the name and present address of the author being attached to be complied with—for instance, in the case of the Sermon on the Mount?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe person who puts a leaflet together is to be regarded as the author.