§ THE EARL OF DESART rose to ask His Majesty's Government whether they are able to furnish particulars of the case of Miss Edith Cavell, who, as it is stated, was executed by order of the German authorities in Belgium on the charge of harbouring British, French, and Belgian soldiers, and assisting them to escape from Belgium; and whether they have information as to any other ladies being under trial or sentence on similar charges.
§ The noble Earl said: My Lords, it is but a few clays since that we listened with feelings of horror to the account given by the noble Viscount (Lord Bryce) of the terrible massacres of Armenians com- 1101 mitted under Turkish orders. Fresh in our memories are the brutalities and massacres committed by the Germans in Belgium and in France, and also the murder of innocent non-combatants by German submarines and aircraft. One had almost thought that the possibilities of ruthlessness had been exhausted, and that whatever instance might arise in the future there could be nothing in its nature that would shock the conscience more than, or as much as, those awful things that had taken place. When a few days ago we read in the Press the story to which my Question relates we felt that here was something not comparable, perhaps, in its horror or the extent of its consequences, but in kind as terrible as, or more terrible than, anything that had come to our knowledge since the commencement of the war. I know it so affected me. The few words which I shall address to your Lordships this evening I speak on the information which we have from the newspapers. We are familiar, terribly familiar, with the ruthlessness of German commanders. We know but too well the brutality in many cases of the forces acting under their command. And this case brings it home to us that their tribunals and those who have the power and privilege of exercising clemency are not free from the smite spirit and are not unwilling to exercise the same ruthlessness.
§ What are the facts of this case so far as they are known, or, at any rate, so far as we know them from the newspapers? Miss Edith Cavell was a lady of middle age, of unblemished reputation and character, living in Brussels and engaged in works of humanity and kindness—the training of nurses for the relief of humanity. She was charged with doing that which no doubt is an offence against the laws of war. The charge was that she assisted her fellow-countrymen and subjects of our Allies in distress to conceal themselves from the Germans and to escape from German control. That was her offence. She was tried in cold blood; she was convicted in cold blood; she was executed in cold blood. Here was no case of immediate terror of those who arraigned her, none of the excitement of lust, of blood and battle; it was an act of so-called justice, so conceived, so carried out to the bitter end. The scene of her execution was described in the news 1102 papers. I do not propose to remind your Lordships of it. It is one of those things of which one can hardly speak without more emotion than is suitable in this place. In time of war every belligerent has the right to protect itself against the offence with which Miss Cavell was charged. That she was liable to punishment of some kind I could not and do not dispute. That punishment would be such as was necessary to prevent her from carrying on the assistance she had been rendering and to warn others that they could not adopt that course without consequences. It may even be that a sentence of execution was technically one that, might be passed. But I do not think there is one of your Lordships who will differ from me when I say that though that sentence might be passed it was one that most emphatically would never have been carried out on a woman by any other country but Germany.
§ This is a matter which will appeal to all the world. As I have said, I do not dispute that these things must be guarded against in war time. In the case of espionage, with deadly danger to the State, there may be no measure that you are not justified, however unwillingly, in applying. But I cannot help thinking that if this offence had been committed by a German lady in this country to assist her fellow-countrymen to escape, we should have, taken prompt measures to prevent its recurrence, but there would have been no suggestion of imposing more rigorous conditions than were necessary for that purpose. This is a case of which it is seemly that some notice should be taken and some protest made in this country. As we have spoken about other horrors, we may say one word in this House to express our detestation of this particular one. Impotent as we are to punish, far away as may be retribution, I think our voices may now be raised. I think that all the facts should be made known. Those facts should reach the humane men and women of neutral countries. And not only neutral countries but Germany itself, for I cannot believe that when the facts are known there will not be some there who will feel as bitterly as we do the scandal that the governing powers should have permitted this execution. I have not confined my Question to the case of Miss Cavell, but also ask for information relating to other ladies, because there is a belief that there are other persons under similar 1103 charges lying in similar peril who have not yet suffered. Not perhaps by our action but through the action of neutral countries it might be possible to prevent a recurrence of what I venture to describe as one of the greatest tragedies of the war. I beg to put the Question which stands in my name.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, my noble friend Lord Crewe has been called away from the House and has asked me to reply to the Question which has just been addressed to the Government by my noble friend opposite. May I be permitted, in the first place, to say that I am not surprised, and I am sure no member of your Lordships' House can be surprised, that the noble Earl should have called attention to this most deplorable incident. We have been during the last few months continually shocked by occurrences each more terrible and moving than its predecessor; but I doubt whether any incident has moved public opinion in this country more than the manner in which this poor lady was, I suppose I must say, "executed" in cold blood not many hours ago. It is no doubt the case—my noble friend did not disguise it from himself—that she may by her conduct have rendered herself liable to punishment—perhaps to severe punishment—for acts committed in violation of the kind of law which prevails when war is going on. But I have no hesitation in saying that she might at any rate have expected that measure of mercy which I believe in no civilised country would have beers refused to one who was not only a woman, but a very brave and devoted woman, and one who had given all her efforts and energies to the mitigation of the sufferings of others.
I am able to tell my noble friend that a full Report relating to the circumstances under which Miss Cavell was executed was forwarded to the Foreign Office yesterday by the United States Ambassador. We learn from this Report that the representatives of the United States and of Spain at Brussels up to the very last moment neglected no opportunity or effort in order to obtain a commutation of the death sentence passed on Miss Cavell, or even to obtain at least a period of suspense before that sentence was carried into effect. Those efforts failed. The material portions of the Report to which I refer will be published without delay.
1104 With regard to the second part of my noble friend's Question, I am able to tell him that two French ladies have been condemned to death on a charge of sheltering British and French fugitive soldiers. These ladies were to have been executed on Monday last, but I am glad to be able to add that as the result of strong representations made by His Majesty the King of Spain and by the Pope the execution of these sentences has been postponed pending consideration by the German Emperor of the reports on both cases. I will only add that I am convinced that there is not a man or woman in this country who will not join with the noble Earl in the protest he has made.
THE EARL OF DESARTThere was a list of names, more than those of the two French ladies, in the newspapers this morning of people who had been sentenced to various terms of penal servitude. I do not ask for an answer now, but possibly at some future time we may be informed whether or not those reports are correct.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI would rather not make any statement upon that at the moment.