§ LORD STRACHIE had the following Notice on the Paper—
§ To call attention to the statement of the Secretary of State for India, that 442 enemy alien missionaries, mostly German, are at liberty in India, at their posts, on parole, on condition of good behaviour, and 70 are compulsorily residing ill specified places, and only 115 are interned; and to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government consider that such a state of things is desirable, and if not, what action they propose to take to safeguard the tranquility of India.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, my excuse for drawing attention to this Question must be the rather startling statement that was made by the Secretary of State for India as regards alien enemies in that country. He said that he was unable to give figures as to the total number of enemy aliens interned or still at large in India, but in giving the figures as regards enemy alien missionaries, for the most part Germans, he said that there were 442 alien missionaries under very slight control —that is to say, they were allowed to remain at their posts on parole on condition that they continued of good behaviour. These men, of course, would be extremely anxious to do everything in their power not to come under the suspicion of the authorities. From the statement of the Secretary of State for India it would appear that the Government of India had rather the same view as regards aliens generally in India as the late Home Secretary, Mr. McKenna, had as regards aliens in this country—that they were most of them very harmless people, and there was no need to trouble about them. If that is the contention in regard to this country, I do not agree with that view; nor, I am sure, will many members of your Lordships' House. But as regards India it is a very serious state of things, because we know how mischievous rumours are likely to be spread in that country. We know the bitter feeling entertained by Germans, whether in that country, in any other of our Dependencies, or in this country. We know especially as regards these missionaries that they' are men who have been ready to sacrifice their own easy lives at home to go out to India for the good of their own country. They are men who have made great sacrifices already, and from the character of the German nation we know that they would think no sacrifice 201 was too great to make if they could do anything to damage our rule in India.
§ I am given to understand that the censorship in India is, if possible, stricter than in this country. We in this country know very little indeed of the state of India except from what we have in the way of private information; and the private information I have had is not at all reassuring as to the state of things existing there. And it does not tend to reassure those who take an interest in India to find that there are so many alien enemies in that country under so little control. In the answer given in another place the Secretary of State for India made no reference as to what had been done in the case of the wives and daughters of the missionaries who had been interned. Perhaps my noble friend the Under-Secretary may be able to tell the House whether, in cases where it is thought necessary to shut up missionaries, special care is taken with regard to their female relatives. We know that as touch harm may be done by women—perhaps even more, because they are under less suspicion. I need not refer the House to the history of espionage in Germany. It has been a tradition from the time of Frederick the Great and has been hereditary in that country. The system of having spies has been fostered and organised by Germany in a way of which we had no idea until this war broke out. We have suffered greatly from it, but I trust we shall not suffer more from it than we have already. And. I hope that my noble friend will be able to give some assurance to the House that something is being done in India to alter the present state of things which seems so inadequate —namely, the shutting up of such a small number of alien enemies as seems to be the case at present.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (LORD ISLINGTON)My Lords, if my reply is confined within very brief limits to the Question on the Paper, I hope my noble friend will understand that it is not because I do not fully appreciate the importance of the subject which he has raised. As regards the figures which the noble Lord has cited in his Question, they represented the position in April last. No later figures have as yet been received to show whether the figures given have undergone any modification. I may say that the Secretary of State has already announced in another place that lie has instructed the Government of India 202 to report by telegram in full on the present features of this situation. The report has not yet arrived, and therefore I am not in a position to make any announcement in the shape of a reply to my noble friend. He will understand I am sure, as other noble Lords will, that the Government of India and. the Local Governments have had this question of aliens carefully under their supervision ever since the outbreak of war. He will I have no doubt, with his knowledge of India, realise that the question presents peculiar difficulties there and therefore the adjustments of aliens in that country have to be dealt with with peculiar care and consideration. There are institutions in India which are staffed by Germans, German Jesuits, especially in Bombay and others parts of India, and. upon which portions of the community in large districts largely depend for their religion and for their education and their general social conditions, and also, I might add, in certain remote districts for their medical treatment. I only mention that to show that care and caution has had to be taken by the Govermnent in dealing with this matter, because any wholesale internment without some substituting arrangement would cause in India to a unique degree a great dislocation of social conditions. But with the advance of the war, and with undoubtedly the advance of German agency in all vulnerable parts of our Empire, there must be corresponding restrictions and corresponding care. Whilst, as I have said, I ant not in a position at this moment to give my noble friend any precise answer to the Question he has put, directly I am placed in such a position I shall do so. In the meanwhile I hope he will feel assured that attention is being given to this matter both in India and at home, and he mayfeel assured that nothing will be left undone to safeguard the tranquillity of India.
§ House adjourned during pleasure; and resumed by the DUKE of DEVONSHIRE.