HL Deb 09 March 1916 vol 21 cc365-7

LORD STRACHIE had the following Question on the Paper—

To ask the Secretary of State for War why the 1/4th Somerset Light Infantry were despatched from India without proper equipment for Mesopotamia.

The noble Lord said: My Lords, I gave private notice to my noble friend the Lord Chamberlain, who now represents the War Office, that I intended to ask this Question. My Question appears in its proper form upon the Order Paper of your Lordships' House, but I notice that in the public Press the noble Lord opposite has had it censored, and it is altered there to read— To ask whether a certain battalion was despatched from India without proper equipment for Mesopotamia. I have not a word of complaint about its being censored. If it is desirable that it should not be known what the battalion is, I am certainly the last person to desire to make it public. But I am surprised that it was necessary to censor such a very harmless Question, because I should have thought the noble Lord could have at once told me to-day that no battalion had been sent from India without the proper equipment. The fact of censor I am afraid rather shows that the War Office is not at the present moment up to date in this matter any more than we are, as has been shown by the debate we have just had, in the case of air defence. In my Notice I have confined myself to asking whether a battalion has been sent from India without proper equipment—without telephones, without machine guns, without proper bayonets. If that is so, I consider it very serious indeed, for it would be very wrong that men who are, I am certain, all spoiling for the fight and anxious to be employed, in France, in Mesopotamia, or elsewhere, should be sent not properly equipped. I hope that the noble Lord will be able to tell me that they were perfectly equipped, and that the War Office have not allowed any battalions to go from India without the fullest equipment.

LORD SANDHURST

My Lords, my noble friend will remember that I told him yesterday that it was quite impossible to get this information to-day, as last night was the first time I saw his Question—indeed, I think this morning was the first time it appeared on the Notice Paper. The noble Lord says that the Question has been censored with regard to the number of the battalion—

LORD STRACHIE

What I said was that it appears on the Notice Paper in full, but it has been censored in the Press.

THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE

Do you mean censored outside?

LORD STRACHIE

If the noble Duke will refer to The Times he will see that my Question has been altered. I do not complain.

LORD SANDHURST

I can only go by what I see on the Notice Paper. As I told the noble Lord yesterday, it was quite impossible for me to get the information for him by this afternoon. I have, however, made some inquiry, and I find that there has been no complaint from the General Officer Commanding in Mesopotamia that a battalion has arrived short of equipment.

LORD STRACHIE

Has this particular battalion arrived?

LORD SANDHURST

I do not know.

LORD STRACHIE

That is the point.

LORD SANDHURST

If it has not arrived it can hardly have arrived without proper equipment. If the noble Lord will be so good as to give me the statement which he wishes inquired into, I will report to the Secretary of State for War, and steps will be taken as he directs.

LORD STRACHIE

I do not think it is worth while proceeding with the matter. It is quite certain that the War Office cannot give the assurance that no battalion has left India without being properly equipped.

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE

Surely the noble Lord is somewhat unreasonable. He makes a charge against the Government of India. My noble friend Lord Sandhurst tells him that he cannot answer it without making some inquiries. But, notwithstanding that, the noble Lord opposite puts down his Question without giving my noble friend even two or three days' time in which to procure the necessary information.