§ 53. Mr. Wiggasked the Prime Minister if he will ascertain what documents are still held by Field Marshal Lord Montgomery in contravention of the War Cabinet instruction that documents of an extremely secret nature should be destroyed immediately after they had been orally imparted.
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. and gallant Member seems to be somewhat muddled about this. A limited class of urgent secret messages sent to commanders at the Front, after being made effective, were by rule destroyed lest they should in the hazards of war fall into enemy hands. Copies were, however, of course preserved at home. It is hardly for me to say what official documents Field Marshal Montgomery was allowed to retain in his personal custody when he relinquished his appointments in Germany or later as C.I.G.S., since at both those times the party opposite was in office.
§ Mr. WiggI am very much obliged to the Prime Minister for describing me as being muddled. If I am muddled, what about himself? The House will appreciate that the right hon. Gentleman 1580 is doing his best to clamber out of the muddle, but he has not succeeded yet. Will he be good enough to tell us if Field Marshal Montgomery had no messages and the Prime Minister has no record of what messages he had kept, why the right hon. Gentleman sent a telegram to Field Marshal Montgomery in America to see whether he had had the telegram which the Prime Minister has subsequently discovered he did not send?
§ The Prime MinisterI have done everything in my power to produce or discover the alleged incriminating telegram. I should be very glad if I could find it. I will continue to do my best. The only fault I can see that Field Marshal Montgomery has committed has been to aid me in any way he can in clearing up this matter. He has been unable to do so.
§ Mr. WiggIn view of the right hon. Gentleman's difficulties, and of the fact that he has not got out of the muddle, may I suggest that, next time he gets a Question on this matter, he consults me, and I will help him to draft his answer.
§ 54. Mr. Wiggasked the Prime Minister whether Field Marshal Lord Montgomery will be charged under Sections 40 and 41 of the Army Act, in that he, by retaining possession of military documents which he has not been authorised to retain, has contravened the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1911.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir.
§ Mr. WiggCan the House now take it that there is one code of discipline for Field Marshals and another for other ranks? If so, is that not one of the reasons why the Government's recruiting campaign has completely collapsed?
§ Brigadier MedlicottMay I ask the Prime Minister whether it is not clear that the object of these Questions is not to defend the interests of Britain, or even to attack Field Marshal Montgomery, but to secure cheap publicity for the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg)?
§ The Prime MinisterI do not wish to add in any way to my perfectly clear answer of a negative character which I have already given. I may, however, say that there are a great number of people 1581 in this country who think that this attempt to work up feeling against Field Marshal Montgomery is very mean.