§ 2. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state how many masters and officers of British merchant vessels are interned in Germany in military prisoners of war camps and places other than the civilian camp at Ruhleben; what steps are being taken to secure that these officers shall either 1263 receive the treatment with regard to internment in a neutral country or repatriation which was agreed at The Hague in respect of officers of His Majesty's Navy or Army, or, alternatively, the treatment agreed to with regard to civilians; and whether any of these officers have been either transferred to neutral countries or repatriated since the agreements were respectively arrived at dealing with the question of combatant prisoners of war and civilians interned in Germany and this country?
§ Mr. HOPE (Lord of the Treasury)I am informed that the number is approximately 378. The German Government are well aware of our views on this matter, and the situation created by their refusal to repatriate certain classes of British merchant service officers and seamen under the various civilian agreements is engaging the serious and immediate attention of His Majesty's Government. In reply to the last part of the question, a number of British merchant service officers have recently been repatriated or transferred to Switzerland or Holland.
§ Mr. PETOMay I ask the President of the Board of Trade if he recognises that his Department is in all respects responsible for the merchant service and for the interests of these men who are interned in Germany, and who are not given fair play by the German Government?
§ The PRESIDENT Of the BOARD Of TRADE (Sir Albert Stanley)I am quite aware of that.
§ Mr. PETOWill the right hon. Gentleman take care that his Department safeguards their interests, so far as any Department of His Majesty's Government can do that?
§ Sir A. STANLEYWe work in very close consultation, and we shall safeguard their interests so far as we can.
§ 32. Mr. PETOasked the hon. Member for Sheffield (Central Division) whether, as the Berne Agreement of 28th December, 1917, has now been ratified by the Turkish Government, negotiations will now be commenced forthwith with a view to arriving at an agreement for the mutual repatriation of all officers and men of the Navy and the Army of the two countries who have been prisoners of war for a period exceeding eighteen months?
§ Mr. HOPENo agreement exists with any enemy country for the repatriation of such prisoners, but only for their transfer to a neutral country. His Majesty's Government consider that it would be preferable to await the results of the Berne Agreement, now ratified by the Turkish Government, before considering so complete a departure from previous Allied policy as is suggested by my hon. Friend. Transfer to a neutral county is, I fear, impracticable in the case of British and Turkish prisoners, as has been already stated.
§ Mr. PETOIs my hon. Friend aware that, as transfer to a neutral country is impracticable, it is absolutely necessary, if anything is to be done in this matter, that some new departure should be made, and is there any reason why the new departure suggested in my question should not be attempted?
§ Mr. HOPEI am afraid it will take some very considerable time to carry out the provisions of the Berne Agreement as it is; also I fear it is only too likely the number of our prisoners involved would be very much larger than in the case of any other country. As to the general question, it must be a matter to be discussed between all the Allied Governments, and, even if I had the power in the matter—which my hon. Friend knows I have not—no one Government, I think, would make a declaration of principle on the matter.
§ Mr. PETOBecause those negotiations take so long to carry to any effective use, is that not a reason why they should be commenced forthwith, even if they are so very difficult?
§ Mr. HOPEYes; but it is no use commencing negotiations if you do not know the principles on which you are going to conduct them, and, as I say, a matter of tins kind has always been ruled the other way in discussions between the Allied Governments, and to start on a new principle would be an entire reversal of the Allied policy.
Sir F. HALLIn view of the difficulties my hon. Friend has experienced, may I ask him whether steps have been taken to send out clothing to these unfortunate officers and men in Turkey?
§ 33. Mr. HUME-WILLIAMSasked who will choose the first 1,000 prisoners who are to be repatriated from Turkey under the recent agreement; when the 1,000 have left Turkey, who is to choose prisoners for repatriation from among the remainder, and what is the standard of sickness to be applied; and whether it will apply to all who now or in the future were within the standard?
§ Mr. HOPEThe first 1,000 British invalid prisoners of war to be repatriated from Turkey under the Berne Agreement will be chosen by the Turkish authorities without the formality of official medical inspection, in order to save the time which the latter would necessarily take. The Turkish authorities may, of course, be expected to choose for repatriation those prisoners whose state of health renders them least likely to be of use to His Majesty's Government, and these will naturally also be the prisoners whose state of health renders their repatriation most urgent. We assume that the Turkish authorities in making the selection will avail themselves of the opinion of the British medical officer prisoners. After the repatriation of the first 1,000 the selection for repatriation, will be made by medical commissions composed of two Turkish doctors and one British prisoner doctor. The standard of disability for repatriation from Turkey under the agreement is the same as that in force with Germany for the purpose of transfer from that country for internment in Switzerland. It will apply to all prisoners who now fall, or who may in future come to fall, within its terms.
§ Mr. WATTHave representations been made to the Turkish Government that a fair proportion of rank and file should be amongst those exchanged?
§ Mr. HOPEI believe the text of the agreement contained something to that effect. I cannot carry it in my mind, but I think that is so.
§ 34. Mr. HUME-WILLIAMSasked whether any arrangements have yet been made with the Netherlands Minister in Constantinople or with any other representative of a neutral Power to visit Turkish camps where prisoiners of war are interned in pursuance of the recent agreement; and, if so, what the arrangements are and how soon the inspection will be made?
§ Mr. HOPEImmediately on the receipt of news of the ratification of the Berne 1266 Agreement by the Turkish Government, the Netherlands Minister at Constantinople was requested by telegraph to take steps to carry out its provisions in regard to the inspection of internment camps by his representatives. As the Dutch Government were kind enough to appoint two gentlemen to their Legation at Constantinople for this duty some time ago, His Majesty's Government hope that the inspections will be able to be carried out at an early date, but they have no positive information on the subject.