§ 10. Commander BELLAIRSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the wireless logs of His Majesty's ships are regarded as strictly confidential documents which have to be properly safeguarded like the signal books?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAll signal and wireless logs are regarded as confidential documents, but the Regulations as to the custody of the logs provide for degrees of security depending upon the nature of the messages they contain. Thus, certain classes of messages are entered in special logs which may only be handled by certain officers, while other messages are seen by ratings under the strict reservation that all messages, whether visual or wireless, are strictly confidential and are not to be promulgated, or even discussed by those whose duty it is to handle them, without permission. The Regulations as to the custody of signal books provide in like manner for different degrees of security according to the purpose for which each class of book is intended; it may therefore be taken, in general, that the answer is in the affirmative.
§ Commander BELLAIRSMay I take it from the right hon. Gentleman's answer as to the official character of this book that if a wireless log is missing it will become the subject of inquiry, to be followed by a court-martial?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI imagine that it would become the subject of inquiry, but 1565 whether a court-martial would follow would be a matter for the commanding officer.