§ 17. Mr. Tiffanyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the Pan-Hellenic Union of Families of Detainees in the Middle East on 9th August requested permission to use caiques of the union at their own expense for repatriating the detainees; and why the offer was not accepted.
Mr. McNeilThis offer was brought to the attention of the British authorities in Cairo in September. It was then decided that owing to the bad weather conditions at this time of year the suggestion was impracticable. If caiques had been used there would almost certainly have been casualties for which the British authorities would have been held responsible. The Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean has, however, lent a number of landing craft for the repatriation of internees and this should provide a much more practical and satisfactory system than the use of caiques.