§ 39. Major MACKENZIE WOODasked the Prime Minister whether he can now publish the documents found in the 1351 possession of Sinn Fein leaders in 1918, which prove that they were involved in a German plot?
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes, Sir. The Government have decided to publish these documents.
§ Major M. WOODCan my right hon. Friend say when they will be published?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThey will be published in a few days. As a matter of fact, the documents are in front of me now—[HON. MEMBERS: "Read them!"]—at Downing Street. There is a good deal of information which comes from secret sources that has got to be very carefully scrutinized; otherwise we might be giving away something which might be valuable to the Empire, and that is the only thing which is preventing the publication. I have not had the time to go through them with my colleagues with a view to that contingency; otherwise, the hon. Gentleman might see the documents.
§ Mr. DEVLINIs it a fact that the late Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Wimborne, who was charged with the whole government of the country at the time, has stated that he has never heard of a German plot?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWhen my hon. Friend sees the documents, he need not go to Lord Wimborne.
§ Captain REDMONDWill the right hon. Gentleman say why these documents have never been published before?
§ Lieut.-Colonel CROFTWill the right hon. Gentleman also include any negotiations which have taken place between the Sinn Fein movement and Lenin and Trotsky?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe question has been put to me about the War, and these are the only documents before me. As to the question of my hon. Friend (Captain Redmond), he will understand also that we could not publish before the information we sire going to give to the country.