§ Colonel GRETTONasked the President of the Board of Trade if 5,000 Germans and 1,000 to 1,200 Austrians lately employed as seamen in the British mercantile marine are now interned?
§ Mr. BRACEI understand that the figures quoted by the hon. and gallant Member are taken from the Census returns of 1911. It is impossible, therefore, to say whether the persons to whom they related are now interned. But I can say that the policy of internment has been applied to German and Austrian seamen, as to other persons of those nationalities, and there are large numbers now interned. The number of German seamen in internment considerably exceeds the figure mentioned in the question.