§ 15. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that no prosecution has been undertaken of those responsible for the issue of the labour mania- 1718 festo on the War and the making of peace. without submission to his Department, he will now withdraw the Regulation of the Defence of the Realm Act, which has been contiavened and found to be impossible of application in the face of organised defiance?
§ Sir G. CAVEI have no reason to think that there will be any difficulty in enforcing the Regulation, and I have no intention of advising its withdrawal.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he intends to enforce the Regulations, or does he intend to enforce them only on the weak and not. on the strong?
§ Sir G. CAVEI have already replied twice on that subject. I was under the impression, rightly or wrongly, that the breach in this case was solely due to inadvertence.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEHave you made any representations to the people who issued this manifesto to assure yourself that it was due to inadvertence? Have you taken simile steps with regard to other people who have issued manifestoes or pamphlets in contravention of the law?
§ Sir G. CAVEI acted on the best information I had. If I was wrong, I am sorry and I shall take care where there are farther breaches.
§ Mr. PRINGLEWas the evidence such as to show that the authors of this manifesto were ignorant of the Regulation?
§ Sir G. CAVENot by any means; but people sometimes forget.