§ 33. Sir Henry Morris-Jonesasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any units of the German fleet have been engaged with Japan in recent actions in the Pacific and the Far East; and whether he has any information to give as to the exact cause of the sinking of H.M.A.S. "Sydney"?
§ The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr. A. V. Alexander)No information is available in the Admiralty to support the suggestion in the first part of the Question. The answer to the second part is in the negative.
§ Sir H. Morris-JonesHas the right hon. Gentleman seen the suggestion made in some organs of the Press that the "Sydney" was sunk by a Japanese man-of-war three weeks before war was declared?
§ Mr. AlexanderSuggestions in the Press are often valuable, but in this case we rely upon official information. With regard to the suggestion about this Australian ship, it is always necessary before we make any statement or issue any information that we should consult the Australian Government.
§ Sir H. Morris-JonesHas the right hon. Gentleman any information at all as to the cause of the sinking of the "Sydney"?
§ Mr. AlexanderI have nothing to add to what I have already said.