BREACH OF GENEVA CONVENTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 14 October 1942, Page 2

BREACH OF GENEVA CONVENTION

REFERENCE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS (Rec. 9.50 a.m.) Rugby, Oct. 13. Referring to the chaining of British prisoners of war by Germany Mr Churchill in the House of Commons, said the British Government had never countenanced any general order for tying up prisoners on the field of battle. “Such a process,” he said, “may be necessary from time to time in the stress of circumstances, and may indeed be in the best interests of the safety of the prisoners themselves. The Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war does not attempt to regulate what happens in actual fighting : It is confined solely to the treatment of prisoners who have been securely captured and are in the responsible charge of the hostile Government. Both the British and German Governments are bound by this convention. The German Government by throwing into chains 1376 British prisoners for whose proper treatment it was responsible violated Article II of the Convention. They are thus attempting to use prisoners of war as if they are hostages upon whom reprisals can be taken for occurrences on the field of battle with which the said prisoners could have had nothing to do. The action of the German Government has affronted the sanctity of the Geneva Convention which the British Government is always anxious to observe punctiliously. Therefore it has approached a protecting power and invited that power to lay before the German Government our solemn protest against this breach of the Geneva Convention and urge that it desist from it, in which case counter-measures of a similar character which the British Government felt itself forced to take in order to protect prisoners of war in enemy hands will immediately be withdrawn.” Mr Churchill added: “Until we learn from the protecting power the result of the protest I have no further statement to make, and would strongly deprecate any discussion which might be prejudicial to the action of the protecting power and consequently the interests of the prisoners of war of both belligerent countries. As soon as a reply is received a further statement will be made to the House.” —8.0. W.