§ 9. Mr. LLEWELLYN-JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation making it a penal offence for the Press to circulate unfounded rumours or statements calculated to embitter the otherwise friendly relations between different States, such as the report recently published in one of the English papers that Poland, in pursuance of a plan to occupy Dantzig, was concentrating troops in the neighbourhood of that city?
§ Sir J. SIMONWhile I appreciate the object which my hon. Friend has in view, I do not consider, as at present advised, that there are sufficient grounds to justify me in recommending the Government to introduce legislation as suggested in the question.
§ Mr. LLEWELLYN-JONESIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the rumours to which I make reference in my question are utterly unfounded and might have led to incidents between two countries which might ultimately have resulted in war; and are we to understand that the British Government are powerless to deal with incidents of that kind?
§ Sir J. SIMONMy hon. Friend will appreciate, I am sure, that he is suggesting that legislation should be intro- 1148 duced and that would raise the difficult question as to whether we really could, in an English court, try the truth or otherwise of rumours all over the world, but I agree with my hon. Friend that the case to which he refers is a very serious one, and my attention has already been called to it.
§ Mr. LLEWELLYN-JONESWill my right hon. Friend see that the newspaper which has published these reports also gives equal prominence to the denial of those reports which are absolutely unfounded.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENYou have your hands full.