1938-08-04 — Page 10

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That it

ex Hamproposed to asks question about It In the House. of Commons the constitutional procedure in such matters but, lest he should embarrass the Gov- ernment of which he was a sup.... porter, or lest he should divulge information which might be of service to any enemy of Britain, he took the precaution of com- municating the question private- ly to the Minister for War, and here begins a whole series of blunders. The matter could have

Hong Kong, Thursday, August 4, 1938. been settled without fuss by a

STOP BOMBING

The bombing of open towns and villages, which so shocked the conscience of mankind during the first outrages of the war in

ever Spain, continues increasing severity. Not a day passes but news comes of

few minutes friendly conversa- tion. Instead of that, on the in- structions of the Prime Minister, Mr. Sandys was summoned be- fore the Attorney General, who proceeded to tell him that unless he

"informed the authorities of the source of the information con- tained in the question, he made himself liable under the Official

dropping of high explosive the secrets Act to two years, impri- incendiary bombs on densely sonment. Now fortunately, bydd

an

1.

egés

feard of

Speaker to pro- through him, the mbers. No more him to gaol

to comply with the ds- for information. But comes the second blunder.

populated areas, and the machine Member for Norwood, although gunning of the panic-stricken young, is not a man to collapse civilians as they flee from their into a nervous jitter when a sec-

The shattered homes.

tion of a penal act is read to him by a law oficer of the Crown. His tails when published have

enormous effect on mo- first responsibility is to the House bilising world public opinion of Commons and therefore he against the criminals. But is this appealed to

tect enough? World condemnation has been proved in recent years to be a signally meffective de- terrent to a determined aggressor. If public opinion were. sufficient sanction, then no Italian troopa would ever have set foot in While the House was still con- Ethiopia, and not a single Japan-sidering the case, a Military ese bomb would have been drop Court of Enquiry was set up and ped in China. Much more is Mr. Sandys was summoned to necessary. It must be realised appear before it in uniform! by all that the bombing of open Again the Speaker was appealed towns and civilians is an offence to and again the privileges of the in international law. It has House were upheld. A Commit- tee of Enquiry has been set up been formally recognised as such in the Hague Convention of 1983. under the Chairmanship of Sir John Gilmour to investigate the Indeed, this goes so far as to conduct of the affair by the forbid the bombardment of milit- ary objectives where this might Ministers concerned and to report involve the destruction of civil on the ticklish question of how ians. The major problem, then, far this section of the Official is how to enforce this law. One Secrete Act can be made to apply suggestion is that the law-abid- to Members of Parliamentin of their duties as ing nations should set up an in- pursuance ternational force of interceptor Members. It must be remember- planes which should be sent to ed that inefficiency, waste and such places as Barcelona, Alicante, corruption, and indeed, all those Hankow, Changsha, and Canton, vices to which officialdom is heir, is checked in Britain-by-the-fact which have been the scene of re- peated raids. No amount of pub that members of Government de- lic protests would have enforced partments can, on finding such the law against the torpedoing of abuses, bring them to the notice ships in the Mediterranean. It of responsible representatives of was necessary to patrol that sea the people, who in turn can raise with a naval force drawn from the matter, Parliament acting as all the Mediterranean Powers, the supreme, court of the realm. Only when this had been agreed If now the Official Secrets Act is to at Nyon and the patrol start to be used against Members, then ur remaining bulwarks ed did the pirate submarines dis one of

pear Only when some similar against official despotism will

cing force Is

removed. No one who cherish uphold the Hague

and democracy can Bombing of open to

be vely disturbed by the of

originally intended to deal with espionage to deal with cases not remotely connect. The case of Mr. Duncan ed with spying. Already it has Sandys, the Conservative Mem- been used against the Press, now, ber of Parliament for Norwood, unless democrats are vigilant, it remains the subject of investiga-may be used by Government de tion although Parliament has partments to prevent the ex- risen. If the House of Commons,posure of their own shortcomings. ggest that the as representing the people, is to This is not to remain the most important of War Office in this partic Britain's instruments of Govern-

has any deficiencies to hide, but, ment, then its Members must re- rather to draw attention to a dan- taim their freedom and their ger which threatens our freedom. special privileges to enable them I present tendencies continue to raise matters affecting the then it will become more and common good without fear that

more clear that it is impossible they will be penalised by the for democracy to play the game. Executive or the Army Council of power politics with thể dicta-: or any other body, which, in tors without adopting their met theory at least, is supposed to hode. A man in a red musk be their servant. Mr. Sandys doesn't enjoy much freedom, of obtained information which led speech and even Britain will soon

discover that natio him to believe that the condition

nation in chai defences against

cense;

In Defence of Freedom

the