§ Major GLYNasked the Prime Minister (1) whether he will now consider the advisability of publishing the despatches of the naval and military authorities covering the operations of the expeditions to East Africa in 1914, 1915, and 1916; whether instructions will be given that the official history of the campaign in East Africa can be made available for study by military students, in view of the fact that the need for secrecy has been removed by the publication in Germany of a full account of the operations from a German point of view;
(2) whether he is aware that in the autumn of 1914 the Commander of His 260W Majesty's Ship "Pegasus" entered into an agreement with the German authorities which neutralised the town of Tanga; that as a result of that agreement, when there appeared before Tanga, on Monday, 2nd November, 1914, His Majesty's Ship "Fox" and a convoy of some 16 transports conveying the Expeditionary Force from India, the Commanding Officer of the "Fox" gave the local resident German magistrate formal notice under the terms of the "Pegasus" Treaty; that the Expeditionary Force, having once appeared, was forced to retire and lie off for the stipulated period contained in the Treaty, thereby enabling the Germans to make every preparation to meet the impending attack; that when the attack was made it failed to overcome the resistance of the enemy on account of preparations made by the Germans for the defence of the place during this period of grace; and why was it that those responsible for the expedition did not inform the military and naval commanders of the existence of this Treaty beforehand, thereby avoiding the failure and great loss of life that attended the initial landing?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe question of publishing these despatches is under consideration by the Government Departments concerned. I hope that an early decision may be arrived at, and I would suggest to my hon. and gallant Friend that any statement in regard to the details of the operations to which he refers should await that decision.