§ 48. Sir E. HUME-WILLIAMSasked the Prime Minister whether a date has yet been fixed for the trial at Leipzig of Germans charged with cruelty to British prisoners of war; if he can give the names of those Germans who are to be-first tried; and what arrangements have been made for the attendance of British witnesses and of a British representative to be present at the trial?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Sir Gordon Hewart)I have been asked to reply to this question, and I have nothing to add at present to the detailed answer that I gave upon this matter last Thursday.
§ Sir E. HUME-WILLIAMSIs it not a fact that the question and answer given the other day did not touch the question in the last part of the question before the House, namely, what arrangements are to be made for the attendance of a British representative and of British witnesses?
§ Sir G. HEWARTNo, Sir, the question which is asked to-day is not what arrangements are to be made, but what arrangements have been made, and I should have thought it was an obvious inference, from the answer I gave last Thursday, that the time has not yet come to make this arrangement.
Mr. THOMASAre the eight names read to the House last week the full total of war criminals that, in the Government's judgment, meets the requirements of the election pledge?
§ Sir H. BRITTAINWill the right hon. and learned Gentleman inform the House as to the number of these accused Germans who are in Germany?
§ Sir G. HEWARTWith regard to the second question, I cannot say. With regard to the first question, if my right hon. Friend had listened to the answer I gave last week, he would know quite well that the seven persons upon that preliminary list did not in the least purport to exhaust the whole. They are seven selected test cases, upon which we are to try the bonâ fide of the Germans in this matter. The remainder of our list is still unprejudiced.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would remind hon. Members who are calling out that it rests with me to call on a Member.
Mr. JONESWhy is it the test cases are only made on the minor officials, and not on the main people who were responsible for the atrocities in connection with the late War?
§ Sir G. HEWARTThat question is our old friend, the fallacy of many questions. It is not true. The seven test cases are some of the worst.
§ Sir E. HUME-WILLIAMSCan the right hon. and learned Gentleman give 925 us any indication when the trial of these people is likely to take place?
§ Sir G. HEWARTNo, Sir, my hon. and learned Friend knows, as well as I do, that I cannot. He probably also knows that there are now, as I understand, arrangements for certain representatives of the legal authorities in Germany coming to confer with me on that very matter.