asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether any order has been passed by the military authority at Aldershot increasing or reducing the hours during which the sale of intoxicating drinks on licensed premises has been prohibited in the borough of Godalming, the borough of Guildford, and the Guildford division by order of the justices of the peace lawfully exercising jurisdiction so to do in those three areas, respectively; and whether any such order of the military authority has been sanctioned by the War Office?

The order in force under the Defence of the Realm Regulations makes the hours of closing in the Aldershot area from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. This order was dated 27th January, 1915. Previously the public-houses had also been closed from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., but this was no longer considered necessary from a military point of view. I understand that the licensing justices' order in the Guildford division covers the same hours as the order under the Defence of the Realm Regulations; that in the borough of Guildford the justices' order covers the hours from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.; and that in the borough of Godalming an order of the licensing justices closing the public-houses from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. is still in force. The order issued by the competent military authority was quite within his competence, and reference was not made to the War Office.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India refuses to allow junior officers of the Forest Department to volunteer for the War: whether the training of these officers well fits them for warfare; and whether the Secretary of State will suggest to the Government of India that some of them might be spared?

Three junior officers of the Indian Forest Department have been given permission to join the forces. Generally, as regards officers in this and other Civil departments in India the Government of India prefer, for reasons which have approved themselves to the Secretary of State, that so far as they can be spared from their civil duties they should join the Indian Army Reserve of officers and be appointed to Indian units.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he is in a position to publish a statement showing in detail the names of the princes, notable persons, and corporate bodies and associations who have come forward with offers of help in troops, transports, munitions, and donations to be used in connection with the various expeditions in which His Majesty's Forces are engaged or for the comfort of the wounded, and also the names of the princes, chiefs, and other notable persons who have gone or offered to go on campaigns?

The Secretary of State will ask the Government of India to prepare a full return of the offers of help and service to which my hon. Friend refers, in order to complete the Papers laid before Parliament last autumn.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether in recent orders of the day troops at the front were instructed to impress upon those with whom they corresponded that no letters from the front were to be published; and, in view of the fact that every letter coming from the troops has to pass the Censor, who deletes all which may be of military value, and as the publication of soldiers' letters has been helpful to recruiting and instrumental in sustaining a genuine interest, and as the editors of newspapers may be relied upon to either submit to the Censor or delete anything which could be of service to the enemy, will he permit, in the public interest, the publication of as many soldiers' letters as the Press care to publish?

The order referred to is based on the King's Regulations, which forbid communications with the Press by officers and soldiers, and make them responsible for anything they write which may be published in the Press. The Censor referred to is the Postal Censor at the front, whose approval of a letter passes it only for delivery to the addressee.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that for many years, in consequence of repeated representations and applications, the War Office have had under consideration the establishment in Ireland of a permanent depot for the acceptance, delivery, and testing of goods supplied by Irish contractors; whether a partial adoption of this system has been already in force; and whether, as it has proved economical and mutually convenient, he will carry into effect the promise already suggested and provide a properly equipped receiving depot in Dublin?

As I informed the hon. Member in a reply on this subject a week ago, arrangements have been made by which articles other than textiles may be delivered at Dublin and inspected there or at the contractor's works. But I am afraid that the amount of stores and clothing received from Ireland at the present time would not justify the creation of a receiving and inspection depot on the lines now suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can see his way to allow letters from officers and men serving in His Majesty's ships in the North Sea and elsewhere on active naval warfare service to have the same privilege of sending letters unstamped as is accorded to the officers and men of the Expeditionary Force; and, if not, will he say why those fighting on sea are treated differently from those fighting on land?

I have consulted the Admiralty on both these points, and I find that they do not consider any departure from the practice described in my answer of the 11th instant to be desirable.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India is taking any steps to ensure that the recovery of the natural indigo dye trade, consequent upon the War, shall be so far as possible permanent in character?

The subject is engaging the attention of the Government of India.