SAFETY OF THE REALM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 July 1938, Page 8

SAFETY OF THE REALM

ISSUE OF SECRECY RAISED IN HOUSE OF COMMONS Impressive Disclosures by Ministers LEAKAGE OF MILITARY INFORMATION (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) RUGBY, June 30. In the breach of privilege debate in the House of Commons reported in an earlier cablegram, the Prime Minister (Mr N. Chamberlain), emphasised the great importance of the latter part of the terms of reference and said the Government had reached the conclusion that the present was not a suitable opportunity for a statement of its views on the matter, which should be reserved until after the committee had reported. It was clear that the question of applicability covered a wide range. He could conceive cases where information obtained by a member of Parliament could be information of a secret character, the disclosure of which might be" an offence under the Official Secrets Act, but which might nevertheless be used by such a member in such a way as to be of benefit to the nation. On the other hand, he could also conceive cases where such information might be used in such a way as seriously to affect the safety of the realm. There might be a conflict between the privileges of the House—the right of free speech—on the one hand, and the safety of the country on the other. Mr Chamberlain recalled a former occasion in the House, nearly a hundred years ago, when it was laid down that the privileges of Parliament must be used in the service of the Commonwealth and not to its danger.

The Secretary for War (Mr L. HoreBelisha) in a personal statement, said that on Wednesday evening of last week he had received a minute from the General Staff regarding a letter from Mr D. Sandys, enclosing a draft question, he proposed to put in the House. The minute said: —

“We are greatly concerned that Mr Sandys should be in possession of such information. Not only does it appear that he is conversant with the details of a secret scheme, but that he was kept up to date in subsequent changes agreed to by the Air Officer Command-ing-in-Chief, such as the diversion pf guns.” Mr Hore-Belisha mentioned that the document from which the information must have been taken was the emergency plan of defence of the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief. It was a document of the highest secrecy and instructions were that subordinate officers should' be informed only of the details necessary to enable them to take appropriate action. The document contained emergency directions showing the exact dispositions to be taken by our guns, and the exact number and sources from which they were to be provided. Mr Sandys, in a brief intervention, said: “Mr Hore-Belisha no doubt knows all about the document. I don’t. I know nothing about the disposition of guns. ’My question contained no reference to it. My question referred to the number and conditions of guns. If I had been asked not to put the question, I would not have thought of putting it.” . Mr Hore-Belisha Said it was import-

ant to discover how the disclosure had come about. He saw Mr Chamberlain on Thursday morning, and Mr Chamberlain told him to lay the facts befor the Attorney-General. His concern was not merely to ask Mr Sandys to' withdraw his question, but to discover how the information had been divulged. Mr Hore-Belisha then explained why he had accepted the Attorney-General’s advice not to see Mr Sandys himself. The Attorney-General (Sir D. Somervell) had said that as the communication from the General Staff disclosed the commission by someone of a serious breach of the law, he thought he ought to see Mr Sandys himself. He could put the position as disclosed in the General Staff’s communication before him, and ask whether he was prepared to assist in the investigation of this breach of the law. Mr Hore-Bel-isha also stated that on Monday, before the matter was raised in the House of Commons at all, the General Staff had completed its own preliminary inquiries and a court inquiry had been ordered to be assembled according to normal procedure. After giving an assurance that all the relevant facts would be available to the Select Comthat the General Staff had the duty of mittee, Mr Hore-Belisha pointed out safeguarding the country’s defence plans. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr C. R. Attlee) seconded Mr Chamberlain’s motion to set up a Committee which was supported by Sir A. Sinclair and Mr Winston Churchill.

The motion was accepted without a division.