EUROPEAN SITUATION. (Hansard, 5 October 1938)

Mr. Acland
In the course of my speech—upon which the Under-Secretary has made some remarks for which I thank him—I ventured to ask one specific question which seemed to me important. I think it is important that the country should know what is going on in Poland. One view of what is going on has been given by the "Times" and I would like to know—

§ Mr. Speaker
It appears to me that the hon. Member is now speaking with reference to the Motion on the Order Paper, the Debate on which has been adjourned. He cannot do so on the Motion for the Adjournment of the House.

Mr. Acland
I would not wish to do anything which is outside the Rules of the House, but before the House adjourns I wish to raise the question whether it is possible to have an answer on that point.

§ Mr. Speaker
It would not be in order on the Motion for the Adjournment of the House to deal with questions which are covered by the Motion on the Order Paper.

§ Mr. Wedgwood Benn
Perhaps I might ask this question. Has the Under-Secretary any news as to whether those 455 people who were arrested by the Germans have been released in response to the representations made?

§ Mr. Sandys
I assume, Mr. Speaker, that one is in order in speaking to-night on the Motion for the Adjournment, on the same subject on which it was in order to speak yesterday on the Motion for the Adjournment.

§ Mr. Speaker
There is a Motion on the Paper which we have been discussing all day and the Debate on which has been adjourned until to-morrow, and that Motion deals with the questions which we were discussing yesterday. It would not be in order, on the Motion for the Adjournment, now to discuss something which is covered by the Motion on the Paper.

§ Mr. Churchill
I presume, Mr. Speaker, that apart from the topics covered by that Motion, the Debate on the Motion for the Adjournment of the House will enjoy the usual freedom.

§ Mr. Speaker
If the hon. Member wishes to raise some particular question which is not included in the Motion he can do so.

§ Mr. Sandys
I propose to deal with some of the points with which the Prime Minister dealt on the Motion for the Adjournment two days ago. I listened with attention and sympathy to the Prime Minister's explanation and his exposition of the differences between the Godesberg Memorandum and—

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member is now raising a question which we have been discussing on the Motion on the Paper and will be discussing again to-morrow.

§ Mr. Benn
Surely the Under-Secretary will give some reply to my question. Questions were raised at Munich as to Sudetens being liberated under the agreement, but nobody asked about the Czech hostages. Surely the Under-Secretary, if he cannot tell me now, will promise to tell us to-morrow. It is a point of honour that those people should be saved.

§ Mr. Butler
This is a matter which was raised at Question Time. The Prime Minister gave the right hon. Gentleman an answer upon it. Naturally we have set in motion the inquiries which we promised to make, but I cannot answer the right hon. Gentleman to-night because 456 I have had no notice of the fact that he proposed to raise the matter at this time. Despite the obvious inconvenience of such an inquiry, in view of the importance of the matter, I shall certainly do my best to expedite a reply, but I can give no guarantee that I can get it to-morrow.

§ Mr. Churchill
I should like to ask the Under-Secretary what is to happen supposing we separate, as we have decided to do, at four o'clock to-morrow, and he has not got an answer by them. Will there be any method by which this information is to be conveyed? It is an extremely important point. I entirely agree with the right hon. Gentleman opposite. Here was a case of absolutely no reciprocity. A question was asked about it, and the Government are making the necessary representations. They admit that it is a matter of extreme importance, but we are separating to-morrow. Can the hon. Gentleman hold out to us any hope that he will be in a position to give us information upon this subject to-morrow?

§ Mr. Butler
I can only repeat that I can give no undertaking as to when the reply will be received, but we shall certainly do our best to expedite it.

§ Mr. James Griffiths
Has the hon. Gentleman received representations from the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, who feel themselves peculiarly concerned in this situation, because the miners in this area, who were affiliated to the Miners' International, will be involved? The Miners' Federation have made application that they may be permitted to send their representatives there to safeguard, as far as they can, the miners' interests in that area.

§ Mr. Speaker
The pursuance of these questions is an abuse of the Rules in regard to questions that can be raised on a Motion for the Adjournment.

§ Mr. Churchill
May I then, because Parliamentary time is very precious and we are here for only a short period—

§ Mr. Speaker
If the Under-Secretary replies to the right hon. Gentleman, he will be out of order, as he has already exhausted his right to speak.

§ Mr. Benn
On a point of Order. You have explained that the Under-Secretary has not got the right of reply, having already spoken. But the Minister of 457 Transport spoke eloquently earlier, and he is obviously fully seized of the subject. Will he give us any information?

§ Mr. Churchill
On a point of Order. May I ask your ruling whether in fact I have attempted to intervene at all except by way of interrogation, which is not at all the same as an intervention?

§ Mr. Speaker
The point is, when does a question develop into an intervention?

§ Mr. Mander
There is a matter that I wish to raise, concerning certain action taken during the last few days in connection with the showing of films in the cinemas of this country. There was shown, a few evenings ago, a very admirable film of life in Czechoslovakia, with pictures of President Benes and other incidents of that kind. Some of my friends who saw it thought it would not be shown for very long, and they were right, because I understand that influence was brought to bear very soon, and it was cut down, because it presented a picture of Czechoslovakia which was quite different from that which the Government wished the people of this country to believe. Pressure was exercised on the film industry to interfere with it and to cut that out, and it was very drastically cut down. Furthermore, during the last few weeks there was shown on the films an interview and a speech by Mr. Wickham Steed and others, and there also, under pressure which was exercised indirectly through the Foreign Office—according to my information, through a certain foreign Embassy—action was taken to prevent that being shown, because it did not fit in with the views of the Government.
It seems to me a serious thing that the Government and the Foreign Office should be instituting a censorship of films at any 458 time. The film industry are entitled to show what they think fit and to give the true facts of the situation without having to colour them and adjust them and cut them according to the views of the Government of the day. I want to protest against what appears to be the introduction of the very methods which the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) was referring to not many hours ago—the introduction into this country of interference with the rights of this people to do what they like, to show what they like, to see what they like and to say what they like.
I did not give my hon. Friend any notice of this, but no doubt he is paying attention to what I am saying; and I hope that he will be good enough, in the course of the Debate to-morrow, to state exactly what happened. I hope, too, that we shall have no more of this attempt of the Executive, in their own interests and the interests of their political policy, to interfere with the rights of the citizens of this country.

§ Mr. Sandys
On a point of Order. I was in possession of the House when you, Sir, gave me your Ruling that I was not to deal with any matters already dealt with in the Debate. I will therefore, with your permission, confine myself to a matter which has nothing to do with the Debate in question.

§ Mr. Speaker
I ruled the hon. Gentleman out of order when he was speaking before. He cannot intervene in the Debate a second time.