§ Mr. PEMBERTON BILLINGhad given notice of the following questions:—
§ 16. To ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of all members in and employés of his Department who are of enemy birth or origin; and, in cases where their names have been changed, will he state their names at birth and also, if naturalised, the date upon which they were naturalised?
§ 24. To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of all members in and employés of his Department who are of enemy origin or birth; and, in cases where their names have been changed, will he state their names at birth and also, if naturalised, the date upon which they were naturalised?
§ 34. To ask the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of all members in and employs of his Department who are of enemy birth or origin; and, in cases where their names have been changed, will he state their name at birth and also, if naturalised, the date upon which they were naturalised?
§ 40. To ask the First Commissioner of Works whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of all members in and employés of his Department who are of enemy origin or birth; and, in cases where their names have been changed, will he state their name at birth and also, if naturalised, the date upon which they were naturalised?
1031§ 70. To ask the Minister of Munitions whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of all members in and employés of his Department who are of enemy origin or birth; and, in cases where their names have been changed, will he state their name at birth and also, if naturalised, the date upon which they were naturalised?
§ 86. To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of all members in and employés of his Department who are of enemy origin or birth; and, in cases where their names have been changed, will he state their name at birth and also, if naturalised, the date upon which they were naturalised?
§ 99. To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will lay upon the Table of the House a list of all members in and employés of his Department who are of enemy origin or birth; and, in cases where their names have been changed, will he state their name at birth and also, if naturalised, the date upon which they were naturalised?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Bonar Law)The question of the employment in Government Departments of such persons as those indicated in the question is only one aspect of the general question of enemy aliens now being considered by the Government, and for the purpose of their inquiry all necessary information will be obtained. The question whether this information should be published or not will receive consideration.
§ Mr. BILLINGArising out of that answer to these questions, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is prepared to state that the President of the Board of Trade is a German of the name of Nuttmeyer, whether the name of Stanley has not been adopted since, and whether it is not the fact that he holds his position owing to the influence of a German Jew called Edgar Speyer, who is now working out the damnation of this country in America?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe question does not in the least arise out of any of those on the Paper. As a matter of fact, I do know that my right hon. Friend has 1032 no German blood in him, and that he is in no way connected, and never has been, with anyone of German origin.
§ Mr. BILLINGWill the right hon. Gentleman answer that part of the question as to whether the President of the Board of Trade is by birth named Nutt-meyer, or whether it is Stanley, as stated on the Papers of this House?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWObviously, in my opinion nothing could be more unfair or improper than to spring a question of this kind without notice. I know all about it. I know that my right hon. Friend has as little foreign blood in him as any Member of this House.
§ Mr. BILLINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I gave notice of this question to the President of the Board of Trade, so that he might answer it himself; and will the right hon. Gentleman take steps immediately to remove from the Government of this country all enemy aliens?
§ Mr. BILLINGIs it in order for the Leader of the House to answer these questions simultaneously addressed to various distinct Departments, and which are placed on the Paper for the purpose of endeavouring to extract from the various Departments the number of enemy aliens in their employ?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE laterI was not present at the earlier part of the Session this afternoon, but I understand that my name was mentioned and that it was suggested that I was of German origin. With the permission of the House, I should like to make a personal statement. The facts are these: My mother and father were born in Derbyshire, of English parents. They left this country for America when I was a child. After they had resided there for some years my father changed his name from Knattries to Stanley. Knattries is an old English name, though a very difficult name to remember and to pronounce, and a name which, I suggest, has no possible connection with any German name. It was only because it was a difficult name, as I 1033 have said, to remember and pronounce, and because he felt that it was a handicap for his children to be brought up with it, that he changed the name from Knattries to Stanley. My parents are English; they reside in Derbyshire; the family has resided in Derbyshire for very many generations; and in so far as I know, and in so far as I can trace it back—which is for many generations—there has not been the slightest foreign blood in the family.