HL Deb 25 July 1916 vol 22 cc905-7

VISCOUNT MIDLETON had the following Question on the Paper—

To ask the Under-Secretary of State for India whether any decision has been arrived at as to the additional ration allowance to the troops in Mesopotamia.

The noble Viscount said: My Lords, this question as to rations was referred to in the discussion which we had the other night on the Mesopotamian Expedition. The noble Lord was then unable to go into this matter, and agreed to a Question being put down for to-day. The first point is whether the rations which are now being provided for the troops in Mesopotamia are the equivalent—the actual money is entirely unimportant—of the rations supplied in France. The second point is whether the scale laid down is one which at this moment it is possible to adhere to; in other words, whether the supplies get up country and reach the troops. But the third point—and it was on this that I endeavoured on Thursday last to draw some; information from my noble friend the Under-Secretary—is as to the extraordinary statement, made to me on high authority, that a correspondence has been going on for many weeks between the authorities at Simla and Force D in Mesopotamia regarding the rations for British troops there. I asked the noble Lord to explain that. It appears that, even if the supplies are there, the General Officer Commanding Force D is unable to do anything in the way of rations or clothing without the consent of the authorities at Simla. As the case was put to me, the authorities at Simla were quite aware that in the very severe climate of Mesopotamia, with the great divergence of heat and cold, the ordinary ration was insufficient; they were prepared to increase it; but Departmental correspondence had apparently been going on for a long period, and in the meantime the troops were suffering. We have had some ground for thinking that, with regard to this campaign, there is not the smooth working in the departments in India which we have always been accustomed to associate with the conduct of affairs in which India has been concerned. I would venture to ask my noble friend, first, whether he can reassure us as to the present conditions. If he is unable to do so, I would ask whether he would undertake to obtain from India and lay upon the Table the correspondence which has gone on between the authorities at Simla and the General Officer Commanding Force D with regard to this question, in order that your Lordships and the country may have an opportunity of considering whether these delays, in a matter on which apparently all authorities were agreed, could not have been obviated in this very severe campaign.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (THE EARL OF DERBY)

My Lords, the question raised by the noble Viscount has only lately become the duty of the War Office at home to deal with, and I am afraid I cannot give any thoroughly satisfactory answer even at the present moment. My best course is, I think, to read to the House the various telegrams that have passed, and they will show that we are endeavouring to get as much information as will allow us to do what we all wish to do—namely, to give the equivalent (as the noble Viscount says, not in money but in value) of the rations provided in France This telegram was sent to Expeditionary Force D— Question in House of Lords asks whether decision has been arrived at as to additional allowance to troops in Mesopotamia. This is intended to mean either that the ration—not any allowance—is not up to standard in France, or that it is below some other desirable standard. Is the ration equivalent to that given in France? In any case do you want more, and, if so, what? The answer to that was— Sanctioned scale of rations only differs from that in Franco as regards following items. Issue of sugar here is ½ oz. less, jam 1oz. less, meat 4ozs. loss; but 4ozs. oatmeal and 2ozs. condensed milk are authorised twice a week, but not in France. They then referred to a certain telegram which they had sent with regard to supplies they had in stock, in which it appeared there was a shortage in oatmeal and condensed milk; but we were not able to make out from that telegram whether there was a shortage in reserve or an actual shortage at the present moment. So another telegram was sent, which I hope will clear up the situation. It ran— Please telegraph fully the scale of rations which is now in force, and state whether the troops are receiving to-day the actual full scale; and if this is not the case, state in what particulars the issues are short. I hope that when we get an answer to this telegram we shall be able to deal satisfactorily and immediately with the question.

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (LORD ISLINGTON)

My Lords, in reply to the request addressed to me by the noble Viscount, I can only say at the present moment that I will represent his desire to the Secretary of State. If my right, hon. friend considers that he can do so with propriety, I have no doubt he will take what steps he can to furnish the information asked for by Lord Midleton. I understand that the main subject of that information is to be the correspondence that took place, during the time that the India Office was responsible for the campaign, between the Government of India and the General Officer Commanding in Mesopotamia with regard to the requisitions which it is alleged that the General Officer Commanding in Mesopotamia made for adequate rations, and which became the subject of question and correspondence on the part of the Government of India.