§ 71. Sir C. Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for War what salaries Von Arnim and other German and Italian generals, who are prisoners of war in this country, are to receive; who pays for those salaries; and whether the same rule applies to our officers who are prisoners of war?
§ 72. Mr. Mackasked the Secretary of State for War whether General von Arnim is in receipt of payment while a prisoner of war in Britain; can he state the amount; and is any preferential treatment afforded him by virtue of his rank?
§ Mr. A. HendersonI gave an outline of the general principles underlying the payments which are made to officers who are prisoners of war in an answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne) yesterday. With my hon. Friends' permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the rates of pay, appropriate to their rank, of German and Italian general officers who are prisoners in British hands. Article 21 of the Geneva Convention contains the provision that officers who are prisoners of war shall be treated with due regard to their rank and age. Generals are given better quarters and more privacy than other officers, but in general they receive the same treatment.
§ Mr. MackIf preferential treatment of this character is to be given to generals of high rank, would that not create a considerable amount of dissatisfaction among the Forces of this country, first because of shackling, secondly because of unfairness?
§ Mr. HendersonIt is not for us to follow the example of others in breaking international Conventions.
§ Mr. R. C. MorrisonHas my hon. and learned Friend made it clear in his answer whether the figures are inclusive or exclusive of their keep?
§ Mr. HendersonIn the case of German officers the food is supplied in addition. In the case of Italian officers they have to pay for the food out of what they get.
§ Following is the table:
| GERMAN. | ||||
| Rank. | British equivalent. | Rate (monthly). | ||
| £ | s. | d. | ||
| Generalfeldmarschall | Field-Marshal | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Generaloberst | — | |||
| General | General | |||
| Generalleutnant | Lieut.-General | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Generalmajor | Major-General | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| ITALIAN. | ||||
| Maresciallo d'Italia | Field-Marshall | 48 | 12 | 3 |
| Generale d'Armata | General | |||
| Generale di Corpo d'Armata | ||||
| Generale di Corpo d'Armata | 41 | 13 | 4 | |
| Tenente Generale (including Generale di Divisione) | Lieut.-General | 36 | 2 | 3 |
| Maggiore Generale (including Generale di Brigata) | Major-General | 27 | 15 | 7 |