§ 11. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the right hon. Winston S. Churchill was given access to official documents at the Admiralty during the preparation of his book, "The World Crisis, 1911–15"; whether the telegram facsimiles which are published in the book are the property of His Majesty's Government; and whether any proportion of the funds realised by the sale of this book are to be paid to the Treasury, or to any charitable funds under the control of the Admiralty?
§ Mr. AMERYMr. Churchill was not given access to official documents at the Admiralty, but as stated by the Prime Minister in reply to a question on the 15th February, copies of some of his own official minutes and of the Admiralty orders or telegrams based on or leading up to those minutes were given to him by the authority of the First Lord of the Admiralty. In the case of two telegrams, which had become historic, were no longer confidential, and were written in his own hand, the copy given was a photographic copy, and one of these is reproduced in his book. I am not sure how the question of copyright actually stands as between the Admiralty and Mr. Churchill as author of the document, but in any case, although the reproduction is interesting, I do not think that it can be regarded as affecting the selling value of the book, which I take to be the point of the last part of the hon. and gallant Member's question.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay I have an answer to the last part of my question as to whether the Admiralty, in giving this assistance, put in a caveat for some contribution to the naval funds?
§ Mr. AMERYNo, Sir. The Admiralty did not consider that the photographic reproduction of Mr. Churchill's handwriting would add anything material to the value of the book, as compared with the literary skill embodied in it.
§ Viscount CURZONIs the hon. Member aware that Mr. Churchill's book contains one of the gravest possible inaccuracies in its relation to one of the most gallant officers of the Navy, and is he going to allow those inaccuracies to remain on record, and possibly be accepted as an official account of exactly what happened at Coronel?
§ Mr. AMERYThe book is in no sense official. An official account of that history has already been published, giving a full account of this action.
§ Mr. STURROCKIs it not a fact that the whole Empire, which is deeply interested in the naval operations during the War, is very grateful to Mr. Churchill for the wonderful book he has produced?
§ 13. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Board and the Naval Staff were consulted before the right hon. Winston S. Churchill's book, "The World Crisis, 1911 to 1915," was published, whether they were consulted before the references to our Deciphering Department and its methods, described on pages 461, 462, 463, and 464, were published; whether the Board or the Naval Staff were consulted before the facsimiles of secret telegrams were incorporated in the book; whether they are being consulted now as to the second volume, understood to be in course of preparation; and whether proofs are being or will be submitted to the Staff?
§ Mr. AMERYThe reply to the first part of the question is in the negative, subject to what immediately follows. The particular passages referred to in the second part of the question were submitted to me and concurred in as unobjectionable by me after consulting the First Sea Lord. The replies to the remaining parts of the question are all in the negative, but I should add that there was obviously no longer anything secret in the telegram produced in facsimile, its contents having already been published in the Official Naval History.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYDid the right hon. Gentleman consult the First Sea Lord to ascertain if the staff 436 had been consulted, or any member of the Cipher School, and is he aware that matters have been betrayed which we were trying to keep secret?
§ Mr. AMERYI think the hon. and gallant Gentleman may assume that all those matters were in my mind, and in that of the First Sea Lord, who is the head of the Naval staff.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYWas the Cipher School consulted before these secrets were published to the world?