§ Sir A. Baillieasked the Minister of Information whether, in view of the anxiety caused to relatives, he will endeavour to arrange that the Press, in issuing any information regarding the sinking of warships or other ships reported by the Germans, will at the same time issue a warning that the news is not official and is unconfirmed?
§ Mr. BrackenEnemy claims to have sunk named British ships are published by the British Press only when they are made in an official enemy communiqué, and it is the normal practice for newspapers to state that they are enemy claims. I am sure that after nearly four years' ex- 63W perience the public fully appreciate that enemy claims are very often absurd. Furthermore, if we were to make a practice of denying these claims we should be gratuitously providing the enemy with a good deal of desirable information.