§ 13 and 85. Sir RICHARD COOPERasked (1) the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if the officers of his Department who are in control of shipping at our ports have power to arrest enemy aliens who are suspected of spying; whether any representations have been made by such officers that it is desirable that they should have this power; (2) the Undersecretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet made inquiry into the statement by Commander Sir Edward Nicholl, Royal Navy, to the effect that our sea-ports are infested with alien enemies; whether any statement can be made on the subject; what action, if any, has been taken; what was Commander Nicholl's position at the time he made the statement; and what position does he hold at the present time?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI have been asked to answer question 85. I think my hon. Friend must have failed to notice the reply which I gave on the 16th May to a question on this subject by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Ludlow. I will send my hon. Friend a copy of that reply.
As regards question No. 13, under Regulation 55 of the Defence of the Realm Regulations, any person authorised for the purpose by the competent naval or military authority or any police constable or officer of Customs and Excise or aliens officer may arrest without warrant any person whose behaviour is of such a nature as to give reasonable grounds for suspecting that he has acted or is acting or is about to act in a manner prejudicial to the public safety or to the Defence of the Realm. These powers are available for 328 the purpose of arresting enemy aliens who are suspected of spying. I am not aware of any representation from the officers in control of shipping at our ports that such powers are insufficient for the purpose mentioned.
§ 84. Colonel STAVELEY-HILLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Helwig Retburg, an unnaturalised German, is still retained as matron at the cottage hospital at Devizes; whether he is aware that the retention of this person causes dissatisfaction amongst the patients in the hospital and the inhabitants of the district; and whether he will take steps to have this individual removed?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Brace)This woman has resided in this country for twenty-one years, and has been matron at the hospital in question since 1911. The chief constable of the county reports that he has no reason to think that her presence causes dissatisfaction to patients or to inhabitants generally. On the contrary, I gather that patients speak very highly of the manner in which they have been treated by her. She is retained in her position by the committee of the hospital, and my information shows that both the committee and the local medical practitioners have expressed complete confidence in her.