§ 2. Commander WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for India whether the Secretary of State in India or the Viceroy has been communicated with respecting the raid on the Indian Home Rule League's premises?
Mr. FISHERNot before the event. The Secretary of State was on the high seas when the India Office notified to the Home Office the fact that the book, the importation of which into this country and India was prohibited, had been published in England.
§ Commander WEDGWOODHe was not on the high seas, as I understand, when the raid was sanctioned.
§ 3. Commander WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that "Young India," by Lajpat Rai, was published more than two months ago; and why the notification of the alleged dangerous character of this book to the Home Office was postponed till after the Secretary of State's departure for India?
Mr. FISHER:The India Office was not aware of the publication of the book in this country until some days after the Secretary of State's departure for India.
§ Commander WEDGWOODIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the book was sent to Mr. Montagu personally, and to all Members of the House when it was first published, and can he explain how it was that the India Office was not acquainted with the fact?
§ Mr. PRINGLEWill the Government now withdraw the ban upon this book, in view of the fact that the hon. and gallant Member who wrote the preface is now an official of the Government?
§ Commander WEDGWOODI will raise this question at eleven o'clock to-night.
4. The HON. MEMBERasked the Secretary of State for India if he will state in what country Lajpat Rai is at present; and whether he is at large?
§ Commander WEDGWOODHas the Government of the United States been communicated with with a view to the internment of this extremely dangerous person who, according to Sir Archibald Bodkin, advocates sedition and assassination?
§ 94. Mr. SNOWDENasked the Home Secretary why in the recent raid made upon the premises of the No-Conscription Fellowship the police took a private cheque book, a file of trade union correspondence among which was at least one case relating to negotiations with the Ministry of Pensions about the settlement of a pension case for the widow of a member of a trade union, and among other papers taken was a list of the delegates and secretaries of trade unions, the taking of which has caused considerable obstruction of the trade union work; is he aware that the police broke open a private handbag and stole therefrom four boxes of matches; and will he see that all these articles are immediately returned?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir G. Cave)All papers and other articles which have been seized by the police under Defence of the Realm Regulation 51, and are found on examination to be innocent, will be returned to the owners, but I must not be understood as admitting the statements of fact made by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. SNOWDENDoes the right hon. Gentleman deny that a quantity of articles were stolen, including, among other things, four boxes of matches?
§ Sir G. CAVEI have not thought it worth while to inquire about these details. The police had to deal with a mass of documents, and anything not falling within the Regulations will be returned.