§ Major J. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that on the orders of the senior military commander the skating rink at Cologne is to be reopened in December for the entertainment of His Majesty's Forces; that the German Olympic champions, Herr Ernst Baier and Fraulein Maxi Herber, have been invited to give an exhibition at the official opening; that before the war Fraulein Herber held pronounced Nazi views and claimed to be a member of the Nazi Party; and why German exhibition skaters have been chosen in preference to British champions, to whom no invitation has been issued.
§ Mr. LawsonThe military authorities have issued no instruction for the opening of the skating rink at Cologne, nor have they made any arrangements for an official opening. The rink is being run as a purely German concern in the same way as German cafes, cinemas and theatres at present open in the zone. Except for granting the necessary permission for the use of the building, the British authorities have had nothing whatsoever to do with the undertaking and it has no official support, Fraulein Herber is not covered by any de-Nazification arrest or investigation category.