§ 2.35 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask His Majesty's Government the following question of which I have given them previous Notice: Whether His Majesty's Government can make any statement on the armed attack on Messrs. Jessop and Company's works near Calcutta, and the murder of English workers.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT ADDISON)My Lords, I understand that, as already reported in the Press, this most regrettable incident occurred at Dum Dum on February 26, in the course of attacks made simultaneously at three points by small armed gangs. The object of the raiders was apparently to seize arms at the airport and munitions factory. The attack on Jessop's Engineering Works, in which three British members of the staff were killed, seems to have been intended as a diversion. The raiders were pursued by police reinforcements from Calcutta and a number of arrests were made in which the police sustained three fatal casualties. In a statement made to the Indian Legislature on February 28, the Prime Minister said that the arrested men belonged to the Revolutionary Communist Party of India. The United Kingdom High Commissioner is in close touch with the Government of India in the matter.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONI am much obliged to the noble Viscount the Leader of the House for that statement. I am sure that the sympathy of everybody will go out to both the English and the Indian victims of this Communist outrage.