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Military Service

Volume 104: debated on Thursday 11 April 1918

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

Conscientious Objectors

The following question stood on the Paper in the name of Mr. SNOWDEN:

31. To ask the Home Secretary if he is aware that there is in Northallerton Prison a conscientious objector, named John Summer, who, on the 22nd March, was-sentenced to two years' hard labour; if he is aware that this man had already had three sentences passed upon him for the same offence, namely, one of four months' hard labour, one of twelve months' hard labour, and one of two years' hard labour, and that, he has already served twenty months in prison; and whether it is intended to continue this practice of subjecting men to the hardest form of criminal punishment for an offence which has already been punished?

Why should the question be put to the War Office? Is not a prisoner in an English gaol under the jurisdiction of the Home Office?

Certainly; but this relates to the question of calling up the man for military service after the expiration of his sentence, and that is, of course, not a matter for the Homo Office.

Why has not the usual course been taken of transferring the question to the proper Department?

It was adopted, but for some reason my hon. Friend (Mr. Macpherson) has not got the question.

32.

asked the Home Secretary if he will have a special inquiry made into the health of Councillor George Smith, of Glasgow, who is at present employed on the Home Office scheme at Wakefield, whose health is reported to be suffering severely; and whether he will, in the circumstances, permit him to be removed from his present: position to one more suitable for his health and of some usefulness?

A medical report has been called for in this case, and I will communicate with, the hon. Member when it has been received.

34.

asked the Home Secretary whether E. Ribeiro is now an inmate of Wormwood Scrubs Prison; whether he has been sentenced to two years' hard labour; whether he has been forcibly fed in a military hospital for the last twelve months; and whether it is the intention of the Government to continue this treatment of this man or is his release contemplated?

This man is now in Wormwood Scrubs Prison under a sentence of two years' imprisonment passed by a court-martial on the 18th March, and, owing to his refusal to take food, is being artificially fed. As I was informed that he had, before his conviction, been artificially fed in a military hospital for twelve months, I asked for a special medical report upon the case. The report is to the effect that he is in good health and condition, and over the normal weight for his height, and that further imprisonment is not likely to prejudice his health or mental condition. In these circumstances it appears that there are no medical grounds for releasing him. Release on other grounds is a question for the military authorities, to whom any application in that behalf should be addressed.

Is it not a fact that this man was in such a state of health that his court-martial was held with the man lying on his bed?

I have no information of that kind, but I think it is highly improbable, in view of the medical reports.

May I ask, is this man really doing hard labour or is he relieved from labour in order that he may be constantly artificially fed?

He is doing only such labour as he is able to do. I am told he is getting stronger every day.

Skilled Shipbuilder

42.

asked the Minister of National Service whether Private E. O. Pollard, No. 019,438, Mechanical Trans port, Army Service Corps, now employed as a motor driver in France, is a skilled shipbuilding engineer who served four years with Messrs. Vickers at Barrow; and, if so, why is he not sent back to the shipbuilding and engineering trade?

I have been asked to answer this question. I understand that the facts stated in the first part of the question are correct, but, in view of the existing military situation, it is not proposed to take any special action in the matter at present.

In view of the present military situation, will these skilled men be sent back to France?

I understand that no skilled shipbuilders were ever returned from France.

Travelling Tribunals

44.

asked the Minister of National Service if he will consider the desirability of forming travelling tribunals to take the place of borough tribunals, with a view to doing away with any suspicion of favouritism in the combing out of men for the Army?

I have been asked to answer this question. Large powers are given under this Bill to meet such cases if they occur, but my experience so far has not led me to the conclusion that any such expedient will be necessary.

Malta

58.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the speech delivered by the Governor of Malta to the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Malta Militia on the 15th March, 1918, calling upon them to represent the honour of Malta in the face of the enemy and to form a battalion for active service at the front; whether only 150 men out of the whole of these two battalions responded to this appeal; and whether, under these circumstances, compulsory service will be forthwith introduced into Malta and all men of military age and fitness called out for service, either in combatant units or labour battalions as may be deemed best?

No, Sir. My attention has not been called to the speech in question.

Bingley Tribunal

62.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the Bingley local military service tribunal has refused the claim for exemption from military service of J. W. Muff, of 57, Sandbeds, Culling worth, Yorks, a warehouseman employed by a firm engaged on Government contracts, who is the only son of two blind parents, aged sixty-seven and seventy-three, respectively, whose affairs he is obliged to manage and for whom he must exercise care and attention every day of their lives; if he is aware that the Appeal Tribunal at Bradford refused to reverse this decision, as also did the Central Appeal Tribunal; and if he will say whether it is in accordance with the policy of the Government that the only son and sole support of two blind parents should be compulsorily withdrawn for military service?

I have been asked to answer this question, and have made inquiry as to the case. The man in question is aged thirty-six, and in medical category A. The parents have a married daughter who resides in London. The application was carefully considered by the Central Tribunal who were specially set up for determining cases of peculiar difficulty. They came to the conclusion on a review of all the circumstances that there were not sufficient reasons for granting exemption, and the hon. Member will realise that it is not possible for me to intervene on the merits of a particular case.

Conscription (Ireland)

64.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware that any attempt to force Conscription on the Irish people will be resisted by armed and drilled forces in every town and city in Ireland; and if, before there is serious loss of life. he will withdraw the proposal?

The answer to both parts of the question is in the negative.

Trade Union's Pledges

70.

asked the Minister of National Service whether, in view of the speech made by him at a meeting of employers and representatives of various associations of manufacturers in which he stated that a legacy of pledges to trade unions has been inherited which could not be observed, he will state to what this legacy of pledges refers and why the pledges cannot be kept?

I think the hon. Member must be referring to a statement made by the Minister of National Service at a meeting of representative employers arranged by my right bon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on the 16th January. The pledges referred to were the arrangements governing the administration of the original Schedule of Protected Occupations, which the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle explained could not be permanent, and the necessity for the revision of which has been fully explained to. the House on previous occasions.

Substitutes

71.

asked the Minister of National Service,, whether the efficiency of substitutes for men called up for military service is decided by the Ministry of National Service or by the official in charge of each local Labour Exchange; whether his attention has been called to the case of a medical officer in Essex who discharged the duties of chief special constable of a division and chairman of the emergency committee of twenty-eight parishes on the East Coast, national service representative before the local tribunal, chief medical officer of a volunteer battalion of 1,200 men, surgeon of a lied Cross hospital always filled with wounded soldiers. Admiralty surgeon for a large coast district, military surgeon for an inland district, besides other public duties; whether an application by this officer to retain his: motor driver was answered by the proposed substitute of a boy-waiter from a London restaurant without motor experience; and whether he will inquire into the case with a view to prevent the stoppage of this officer's public work?

In cases of tribunal exemptions the efficiency of substitutes for men called up for military service is determined by the tribunals acting on the advice of the trade panels of the local advisory committees established by the Ministry of Labour in connection with the Employment Exchanges. My attention has been called to this case, and I am referring it to-the Ministry of Labour, who will shortly communicate further to my hon. Friend with regard to it.

Members Of Parliament

72.

asked the Minister of National Service if he will give an assurance that all Members of this House of military age and medically fit will be called to serve in the same manner as the public?

The position at present is, as stated in the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Baronet the Member for Portsmouth on the 29th October last, namely, that the War Cabinet have decided that Members of Parliament who are at present serving should have the choice either of serving or remaining in the House of Commons. In view of this decision, and the fact that a tribunal has held that a Member of Parliament has been elected by his Constituents to perform work of national importance, the option is given to Members who are not serving to serve or to continue their work as Members of this House.

Friendly And Neutral Aliens

73.

asked the Minister of National Service what is the present policy being followed towards friendly and neutral aliens who are men of military age in this country; and whether Roumanians and Russians are regarded as aliens of friendly or neutral nationality?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Tuesday, and to the answer given yesterday by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.