§ 50. Mr. Wilson Harrisasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what German war memorials have been destroyed in the British zone.
§ Mr. J. HyndNone, Sir, so far as I am aware, except for any which may have been destroyed as a result of land or air operations during the war.
§ Mr. HarrisIs the hon. Gentleman prepared to regard this matter as one which is receiving immediate attention?
§ Mr. HarrisIs he prepared to let the matter remain where it is?
§ Mr. HyndNo, I should not have thought the House would wish it to be left where it is. If the inference of the question is that nothing should be done in this connection at all, I am quite sure that neither the House nor the country would wish us to allow the issue or circulation of the Lusitania Medal amongst other things.
§ Mr. Godfrey NicholsonWill the hon. Gentleman remember amongst other things that many thousands of British dead rest permanently in Germany, and that there would be the possible risk of reprisals against their memorials or graves if we declared war upon the German dead?
§ Mr. HyndI have given adequate assurance to the House, but this matter is being administered and interpreted by our own authorities in Germany, who have no intention of destroying legitimate war memorials, but, as I have stated, such things as the Lusitania Medal must be dealt with.
§ Earl WintertonMay I ask the hon. Gentleman if part of the answer he read out relates to the graves of those who died in the 1914–18 war, and is that being put into operation? In other words, are these memorials not to be destroyed?
§ Mr. HyndIt is being put into operation. If the Noble Lord will read the 1154 answer he will see that the directive issued makes provision for the destruction of any offensive memorials or other statues or inscriptions or anything of that kind which may be reminiscent of, or an encouragement to, Nazi ideals. There are many of these statues in that form in the British zone.
§ Mr. ChurchillIs not the destruction of these memorials in stone or bronze the way to write the ideals even more deeply in the minds of the people?
§ Mr. HyndI should certainly agree if it were a question of destroying memorials as such, but I am quite sure that the right hon. Gentleman would be one of the first to agree that such an inscription as " Unbeaten Army " which appears on a number of memorials in Germany in the centre of towns is something which should not be encouraged in future.
§ Mr. ChurchillNo. I think we have far more to do in building up a new world than that.
§ Mr. Skeffington-LodgeWill the Minister bear in mind that it is quite impossible to differentiate between one type of memorial and another? Will he also bear in mind that it is a blasphemous thing to interfere with or destroy any memorial to those who fell in the war of 1914–18 or in the more recent war?
§ Mr. NicholsonIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the German nation, though it has been guilty of almost every war crime, has as a whole respected British war graves? I know that from my own personal experience and I was most impressed by what I saw in Germany.
§ Mr. KeelingInstead of saying that this or that must be done or that this or that is offensive, would the hon. Gentleman not leave this matter, as in the case of music, to the persons on the spot?
§ Mr. HyndI would gladly have left it to the people on the spot, but it appears to be the wish of the House that the people on the spot should not have it left to them. The matter of the interpretation of some of the clauses of the directive is still under discussion by our representatives in Berlin.