§ 95. Mr. INSKIPasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the newspaper articles appearing over the name of Viscount French; whether these articles are published with the sanction of the Army Council; whether the Army Council has any power to restrain such publication; and whether they propose to exercise it?
§ 105 and 106. Captain ORMSBY-GOREasked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether Field-Marshal Viscount French of Ypres is an officer on the active list; whether he is in receipt of any pay or allowances from War Office funds; (2) whether, by paragraph 453 of the King's Regulations governing the conduct of the Army, all officers on the active list and soldiers are forbidden to publish in any form whatever, or communicate directly or indirectly to the Press, his views on military subjects without special authority of the Army Council; and whether, by the express terms of the same paragraph, any information acquired by any officer or soldier while travelling or employed on duty is the property of the War Department and may not be published in the Press without the previous sanction of the Army Council?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLLord French is drawing no pay or allowances from Army funds, and he occupies no military post. He is, it is true, a field-marshal, and in consequence technically upon the active list; but field-marshals in the past, when not employed under the War Office, have allowed themselves, and have been allowed, a very considerable measure of freedom in regard to controversial military matters. Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley published a memoir of his life 1350 while on the field-marshal list, which severely criticised not only former Governments but the Government of the day. The writings and speeches of Field-Marshal Earl Roberts are also well-known. It is certainly not intended that a field-marshal, although unemployed in a military capacity, should be placed by his rank under any special disadvantage. Such a, rule would convert the highest military honour into an actual disability. The case of an unemployed field-marshal is, therefore, different from that of serving soldiers, and both policy and precedent enjoin that this difference should be recognised. I should add that the Army Council were not consulted in any way before the articles were published.
§ Captain ORMSBY-GOREDo not these articles actually infringe the Army Act and also the Official Secrets Act?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI must have notice of a question of law, but I have said that in the application of the Army Act it seems to me proper that a difference should be drawn between serving soldiers and unemployed field-marshals, the rank of field-marshal being the only rank on the active list enjoyed while life lasts.
§ Colonel YATEIs not Lord French Commander-in-Chief in Ireland?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThat is merely a nominal title. He is not under the War Office in any way.