§ 1. Mr. Manderasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the position with regard to the two British subjects, Mr. J. G. Martyr and Mr. Mason, who have been held in prison for more than a month by the Japanese; and what steps have been taken to obtain their release?
§ The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Eden)Messrs. Mason and Martyr were arrested by the Japanese authorities in Tokyo on 16th September, under the recently amended Japanese National Defence Law. Sir R. Craigie has made strong and repeated protests against the refusal of the Japanese authorities to disclose the nature of the charges against them or to allow the British Consul to visit them. I have instructed His Majesty's Ambassador to take up the matter with the new Japanese Government and to press energetically for their release.
§ Mr. ManderIs it not more than a month that these British subjects have been imprisoned without any information being supplied? Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the only course which Japan and other aggressors understand is absolutely firm action, and will he take such action in this case?