HC Deb 04 August 1925 vol 187 cc1157-9
60. Major CRAWFURD

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the First Commissioner of Works, whether he is aware that the memorial, recently erected near Hyde Park Corner, to the officers and men of the Machine Gun Corps who fell in the great War, bears the inscription, "Saul hath slain his thousands but David his tens of thousands"; and whether he is prepared

the live register are to count as unemployed?

Mr. SPEAKER

That is the next question.

Following is the statement promised:

to take steps to have this inscription replaced by one more in keeping with the spirit in which these men fought and died?

Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSON

The design of the memorial referred to by the hon. Member was submitted by the Memorial Committee of the Machine Gun Corps and approved by the First Commissioner of the day. The memorial includes the figure of David, and the inscription, which is a Biblical quotation, is intended to draw attention to this fact, and is not, therefore, one to which the First Commissioner can take exception.

Major CRAWFURD

Are we to assume that in the opinion of the First Commissioner of Works and of the Government that the reference to slaughter is an adequate tribute to the heroism of these men?

Captain WATERHOUSE

Has it any relevance to any political personages to-day?

Mr. RAMSAY MacDONALD

Is the matter completely closed?

Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSON

The design was approved by the Memorial Committee in the first place, and was submitted to the First Commissioner of the day, who approved it.

Major CRAWFURD

May I ask for an answer? Is it really the opinion of the Government or of any First Commissioner that memorials to the dead in the War should contain references to the amount of slaughter?

Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSON

The difficulty is that this inscription was given in order to indicate to the public that the statue was a statue of David. Without the inscription the statue itself would not be identified by everyone.

Major CRAWFURD

Is not the inscription an offence to everybody concerned? [HON. MEMBERS: No !"]

Mr. JAMES HUDSON

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the quotation on the statute was modified last year as a result of the intervention of the First Commissioner of Works, and would it not be possible to get some other quotation from the life of David more in keeping with the sacrifices of these men?

Mr. BARR

Is this quotation, which the hon. Gentleman says is from the Scripture, from the Old Testament or from the New Testament and could he not get a more appropriate quotation from the New Testament?

Mr. J. JONES

May I ask whether you could not add to the name of David the name of Lloyd George?