§ 41. Sir A. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the telegram from the International Red Cross at Geneva, stating their inability to deal with the number of parcels received, he will press for the appointment of a British representative at Geneva to look after the interests of our men?
§ Captain MargessonI assume that my hon. and gallant Friend is referring to a telegram of 2nd May in which the International Red Cross Committee reported that certain camps in Germany were receiving more parcels than they required. I do not consider that this telegram affords any ground for re-opening the question of appointing a special representative at Geneva in addition to the existing organisation provided by the International Red Cross Committee.
§ Sir A. KnoxDoes not my right hon. and gallant Friend realise that many camps are not receiving enough parcels and that the telegram referred to the congestion at Geneva? Does not Mr. Stanley Adams press for the appointment of a British representative at Geneva?
§ Captain MargessonThe question of a British representative and other repre- 477 sentatives at Geneva was most carefully gone into by the representative of the International Red Cross, and the Red Cross Society, and, as I said in reply to a Question a month ago, the matter was pretty evenly balanced, and on the whole we felt that the interests of prisoners were better served in this case than if an appointment were made.
§ 42. Sir A. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War, whether German prisoners of war in Britain receive parcels from home, or whether they are completely clothed and adequately fed by His Majesty's Government; and whether he will represent through the protecting Power that British issues to German prisoners will be in future dependent on evidence that German issues to our men in Germany are, at any rate, in accordance with the scale laid down by German regulations?
§ Captain MargessonA small number of parcels are received from Germany by German prisoners of war in this country. As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, the Prisoners of War Convention, 1920. requires the detaining Power to provide adequate clothing and a food ration equivalent in quantity and quality to that of the detaining power's depot troops, and His Majesty's Government have fulfilled their obligations in this respect. As regards the suggestion in the second part of the Question, strong representations have been made to the German Government whenever there has been evidence that their obligations under the Convention are not being fulfilled, but the precise form which any further representations may take must be decided in the light of the information regarding conditions in the camps in Germany which may then be available.
§ Sir A. KnoxHas not information been received that the Germans do not act up to their own regulations? For instance, none of our men receive any leather footwear during the winter, and a large number are still in the clothes in which they were captured.
§ Captain MargessonThat is true. The question of leather footwear was the subject of strong representations from this country to the Protecting Power.