§ 27. Mr. Prittasked the Secretary of State for War with reference to the book by Leonard Barnes about the solution of the problem of nationalities in the Soviet Union, which he informed the House on 1238 the 16th February 1943 the Forces Book Club proposed to issue, whether he is aware that the Forces Book Club a few weeks later decided, without even seeing the manuscript, not to issue the book; why this decision was made; and whether he will now arrange for the book to be issued.
Sir J. GriģģThe Forces Book Club had ceased to exist by the time this book was available for publication.
§ Mr. PrittIs it not plain that the right hon. Gentleman was led to make a statement on 16th February which has no foundation in fact?
Sir J. GriģģNot in the slightest degree. I said that the two books would be published in future, but within a month the Forces Book Club had shut down subscriptions and it was finally wound up before the second of the two books was available.
§ Mr. PrittIs it not a fact that within three weeks of the right hon. Gentleman saying that the Forces Book Club had decided to issue the book, it decided, without seeing the manuscript, to reject it, and that it did, in fact, reject it?