§ 52. Colonel C. LOWTHERasked the Prime Minister, in view of the dissatisfaction witih Lord Newton and General Belfield expressed from all quarters of the House during the British prisoners Debate and the reiterated demand that the future of our gallant prisoners should be entrusted to negotiators of proved ability, whether he will immediately relieve these two gentlemen of all further duties relating to prisoners of war, and replace them by men fully qualified to handle questions of such supreme importance?
§ Sir G. CAVEMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The answer is in the negative.
I take this opportunity of informing the House that the German Government have now agreed to ratify the agreement as to the exchange and treatment of prisoners concluded by Lord Newton and General Belfield at the Hague, and have abandoned the condition which they sought to impose as to the internment or deportation of Germans in China.
§ Mr. KINGIs the Home Secretary not aware that there are many people who have the greatest satisfaction in the work of General Belfield, and Lord Newton, and that this question does not represent the general feeling of the country?
§ Sir G. CAVEI believe that to be so, and I should be extremely sorry to lose the benefit of their services.
§ Colonel LOWTHERIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied with the suggestion that our prisoners can be in no better hands than a peer who treated the tortures of our prisoners with levity, and of a general who only left his watertight 1915 compartment in Whitehall, in order to proceed on a matter of supreme importance, for which he has no qualifications?
§ Sir G. CAVEI entirely dissent from the charges made by the hon. Member against these two gentleman, and I may add that the interests of the prisoners are in the charge of the whole of the Committee, over which I have the honour to preside.