WOMEN MOTOR DRIVERS (FRANCE). (Hansard, 12 June 1918)

§ Mr. ARNOLD WARD
I desire to call the attention of the House, on the Motion for the Adjournment, to the case of Lady Angela Forbes, which, in its earlier form, has already been before both Houses of Parliament this year. After the incident which ended with the taking over of Lady Angela's canteen in France by the military authorities in a manner entirely honourable to Lady Angela Forbes, this lady offered her services to the French military authorities. Those services were accepted, and on the 11th May Lady Angela made a contract with the French Army to supply them with a unit of twenty British female motor drivers for hospital work. This lady came to London to make the arrangements for carrying out this contract. She recruited an admirable body of female motor drivers, and she saw the Departments of the British Government concerned, the Department of National Service and the War Office, and -she obtained the consent of all the Departments to these women leaving the country for the service of the French Army, and on the 16th May, now four weeks ago, the Army Council agreed that the women might proceed. In fact, nothing could have been more helpful and sympathetic than the attitude of my right hon. Friend And the attitude of the Army Council. A part of the arrangement with the French Government was that these motor drivers were to proceed at once to take up their duties. It was arranged, I think, that they were to proceed not later than the 26th May. Lady Angela returned at once to France to complete arrangements, and to be followed by the drivers. After Lady Angela's return a difficulty arose here in London, and this was the first time any difficulty whatever had been suggested in the case. A difficulty arose with regard to the giving of a visé to the passports for these ladies to proceed. I should despair to try to unravel or explain exactly the formalities of viséing a passport, but it appears that in this case the authority which arranges for the viséing is the French Red Cross Society, under the auspices of the French Embassy. The French Red Cross Society were un willing to afford the visé to these pass ports, and on the 26th May the ladies were ready to proceed to France but they were not allowed to go upon their journey. The French military authorities were exceedingly annoyed at this delay, and on the 3rd June— that is, nine days ago—they addressed to Lady Angela in Paris 2338 a letter of remonstrance and complaint with regard to the delay which had occurred. I endeavoured, in Lady Angela's absence, to arrange the matter in London, and paid a number of visits to the French Embassy, culminating on the 5th June in an interview with a distinguished diplomatist, M. de Fleuriau, Councillor of the French Embassy, who pointed out to me that there had been certain difficulties in the way of affording a visé, but he assured me that if instructions to that effect were received from the French Government, the matter would be put through at once. On the following day, 6th June, orders were telegraphed by the French War Office to the French Embassy. I have been given a copy of the telegram, a translation of which is as follows: Please deliver ordres de mission after verification of reference, to twenty motor drivers recruited by Lady Angela Forbes, to form a unit at the disposition of the French Sanitary Service. Since that date repeated applications have been made by, and on behalf of, these ladies to the French Red Cross Society. Very considerable expense has been incurred in providing for the uniform and outfits of the ladies to proceed to France, but, notwithstanding those instructions, up to this day it appears that the French Red Cross Society has been absolutely unwilling to verify the references of the drivers, or to allow them to proceed, or in any way to carry out the order which was sent from Paris. In the meantime, Lady Angela herself received an order from the French Government to proceed to London and investigate the matter. I have exhausted every channel of inquiry, every ordinary method, in order to solve this mystery and get it put right, and I felt that no other course was open to me but to bring this matter before the House of Commons this evening. In doing so, I desire to make no reflection whatsoever upon either the counsellor or any member of the French Embassy.

§ Mr. SPEAKER
I do not quite see how the hon. Member connects His Majesty's Government with this matter The com plaint seems against the French Government. What relevance has it to His Majesty's Government?

§ Mr. WARD
His Majesty's Government have interested themselves from start to finish in this matter, and the Army Council have passed a resolution assenting to the transaction, and I think it is in the Gov- 2339 ernment's interest, and that of everyone, to see that in one way or the other the suspense is terminated. All I have to add is to entreat the good offices of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and to ask him to use his good offices to solve the mystery. It may be that there is some intrigue working which I do not know, or cannot imagine. May I recall words used by the late Secretary of State for War in the House of Lords on 5th February when he dealt with this very case. Lord Derby said: I understand that Lady Angela Forbes is prepared now to take up other war work, and I shall sincerely regret if the recent incident interferes in any way with her doing so. These ladies have done no wrong what ever. All they have done is to show their zeal to help our gallant Ally. They feel that they have not been fairly treated. I do, therefore, earnestly appeal to my right hon. Friend that their suspense may be terminated, and that they may be relieved from an embarrassing position.

§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Balfour)
My hon. Friend has stated his case as it appears to him with moderation, and nobody has any reason to complain of that. But I would respectfully venture to point out to him, and the House, that this is not a subject in which the House of Commons can usefully intervene. I feel that Lady Angela Forbes and the ladies whom she has engaged as drivers for French work certainly have some reason to complain of the treatment which they have received. As I understand it, they have been distinctly invited by one important French Department to carry out certain contracts and perform certain services, and that another French Government Department has so arranged matters that that contract cannot be carried out. That is a very unfortunate state of things, but it is not one in which this House can possibly intervene. This is a matter entirely for the French Department, the French Red Cross Society, or their Foreign Office, or for the French Headquarters Staff— all those who are concerned with the provision of personnel and material for war-work in France and for Red Cross work in France. They may or they may not between them have so arranged matters that Lady Angela Forbes and those whom she recruited for French work find them selves unable to complete the task to which they so heartily set themselves in the common interest, which they were 2340 prepared to carry out to the full, and which they were desirous in the interests of both countries, and of the Red Cross in general, to do their best to bring to a successful conclusion. But, after all, this work was engaged in by English women, and though those whom this lady engaged to assist her were Englishwomen,, it was work for French Departments, and was to be carried out in the interests of French Departments. If, by some misunderstanding amongst these Departments, these patriotic endeavours in the interests, not of Great Britain alone, or of France alone— if these endeavours are frustrated, I do not think this House can put the matter right. I am not sure that a Debate in this House will help to further that cause. I have no explanation to give of what has occurred. So far as my knowledge goes, my hon. Friend accurately represented the various incidents that have occurred. Evidently Lady Angela Forbes and those who support her in this public work have been put to labour, inconvenience, and expense, all of which have proved, unfortunately, abortive. How ever much we may sympathise with the position of Lady Angela Forbes in the matter, I do not think that it is a question in which this House can intervene or usefully express an opinion. It is a matter purely of French administration, for the administration of French departments in France, for the administration of the French Red Cross Society, and I suggest to my hon. Friend that, having made public his view of this case, the matter should not be pressed further.
Unfortunately, I can do nothing to help him, because I have no title as Foreign Secretary to intervene in what is purely a French Departmental affair. I should only be doing harm to the common cause, I should only be impairing my relations with the French Embassy were I to meddle in a business which, after all, is not mine and not ours, and not that of the British Empire whose foreign relations are for the moment entrusted to my charge. I hope my hon. Friend, after hearing what I have said, I trust with impartiality, will not think it necessary to press the matter further. I have given him, as fairly and honestly as I can, my opinion upon this question, and I think it may now with advantage be allowed to drop.