§ Sir A. MARKHAMasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has any information that Mr. Gustav Gerhardt Coppel, of Sheffield, has declined to associate himself with the protest made by other naturalised German subjects in Sheffield declaring their loyalty to the British Crown and their horror at the atrocities committed by Germany on land and sea; whether he is aware that Mr. Coppel has, on the contrary, stated that under no circumstances would he take a similar course as it would be a great disadvantage to him after the War was over, as other German naturalised subjects in Sheffield would find to their cost; whether he will bring before Mr. Coppel the 1067W declaration made by his fellow naturalised British subjects and ask him if he is prepared to make a similar declaration of his loyalty; if not, will he see that Mr. Coppel and his German employés are interned; and (2) whether Mr. Coppel, managing director of a limited company engaged in the manufacture of steel in Sheffield, is a naturalised British subject; if so, when was he naturalised; whether he is aware that his company did an extensive trade with Germany prior to the outbreak of war; whether two German subjects of military age are still employed at his works; and why is this permitted, seeing that other German subjects in Sheffield engaged in similar works have been interned?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe answer to the first part of the past Question is in the affirmative. I am informed that the allegation in the second part has not been substantiated. Mr. Coppel came to England in 1870, and was naturalised in 1878. He is one of the directors of a firm in which other directors are among the best-known men in Sheffield. The firm did an extensive trade with Germany prior to the War, but has since been engaged on important war contracts for the British and Allied Governments. They have only one German employé, who has been exempted from internment on the ground of the utility of his services. I do not think that there is sufficient ground for ordering the internment of this naturalised British subject and the employé in question.