Major DAVIESasked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the details of the trial and execution of the young officer on the 15th January last; whether the officer who was to defend this officer who was subsequently shot did not see him until half an hour before the trial; whether, in order to avoid the possibility of such an occurrence and to facilitate the proceedings of courts-martial, he has conveyed to the Secretary of State for War the views of Members of the House of Commons with regard to the appointment of legal officers to be attached to corps or divisional headquarters in France to act as properly qualified soldiers friends in all cases of field general courts-martial; and whether he can inform the House what steps it is proposed to take in this matter?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONMy information is that it is not true that the officer who was to defend the accused did not see him until half an hour before the trial. I understand that he was with him from eleven to three o'clock two days before the trial. I may say that he is an officer with legal qualifications.