§ 37. Sir Patrick Hannonasked the Minister of Information whether he has had any recent report, through neutrals or otherwise, on the brutal treatment of Catholic priests at Dachau and other concentration camps in Germany; and whether he can use any means to bring the ascertained facts of this savagery to the notice of the Catholic heirarchy in the Allied and neutral countries?
§ Mr. BrackenThere is a steady stream of evidence to show that priests in Germany continue to be brutally treated, although I have no recent reports about their treatment in concentration camps. We do our best to secure wide publicity in Allied and neutral countries for all facts known to us concerning the persecution of religion in Germany and the occupied countries.
§ Sir P. HannonCould my right hon. Friend take some special measures to bring this to the notice of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the United States and Eire?
Viscountess AstorWould it not be better to bring this to the notice of His Holiness the Pope, who has just recognised Japan?
§ Mr. BrackenI have no means of communicating with His Holiness the Pope, but I would point out to my hon. Friend that every effort is being made to bring these facts to the attention of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in America, Ireland, and elsewhere.