§ 8 and 9. Brigadier-General BROOKEasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many claims of men of the mercantile marine interned in Germany at the outbreak of war have new been satisfactorily settled; what is the average payment made; and how many more claims remain to be adjusted;
(2) whether claims are still accepted on behalf of men of the mercantile marine interned in Germany on the outbreak of war; whether, since the names of these men were obtainable from the shipping companies, the authorities approached them all direct or left the men to send in their claims themselves; and what was the number of such claims sent in as compared with the actual number of men interned?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERAs the answer is rather long, perhaps my hon. and gallant Friend will agree to its being circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Captain BENNIs it a fact that the owners of ships have been compensated fur the loss of their property and the men who were interned have not been compensated for the loss of their liberty?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERUnder the Treaty these are two quite disconnected subjects. The hon. and gallant Gentleman must put down that question.
§ Mr. LANSBURYProperty first!
§ Following is the answer:
§ Of the 921 claims lodged under Clause 4 of the Annex to Section IV of Part X of the Treaty of Versailles by members of the British mercantile marine, 216 have now been settled and paid through the Clearing Office, while 87, which were covered, by adverse decisions of the Arbitrator, have been rejected. The average payment is £425 10s. 618 claims still remain to be settled; out of these 618 claims, however, in 116 cases offers of settlement have already been made by the German authorities and accepted by the claimants, and await formal confirmation by the Arbitrator, while in 129 177 further cases offers of settlement made by the German authorities have been communicated by the Clearing Office to the claimants, and the replies of the claimants are now awaited.
§ Claims are still accepted by the Clearing Office, but those lodged after the date of an agreement concluded on May 22nd last with the German authorities do not fall within the scope of that agreement.
§ The Clearing Office has been in constant communication with the unions and societies representing the various grades of officers and seamen, and forwarded proofs of claim to all members of these unions and societies who were notified to it as having been illegally detained. The necessity of lodging claims with the Clearing Office was also widely advertised in the Press, and all members of the mercantile marine who registered claims in respect of internment with the Reparation Claims Department, and appeared to be entitled to lodge claims under Clause 4, received from the Clearing Office copies of forms and instructions for lodging such claims. The number of claims lodged under Clause 4 by members of the mercantile marine is 921, as stated at the beginning of this answer. The figure of the total number of men interned is not here relevant, as it is only a special class which is entitled to lodge claims under Clause 4.