CO129-330 - Public Offices - 1905 — Page 387

380

impose hard labour on a soldier or sailor who tries to escape from his internment and is re-captured. The offence is not a disgraceful one and does not merit a degrading punishment, though effective means

by a stricter method of

would have to be taken

confinement or otherwise

to prevent its repetition.

As regards clause 3 of the Regulations made

by the Governor in Council under Section 4 of the

Ordinance, Lord Lansdowne considers that it is, no

doubt, desirable, so far as may be possible, to fol-

in 1871 with regard low the well-known precedent set

to the internment of the French troops in Switzer-

land, but His Lordship doubts whether it would be

wise to place interned prisoners as regards mat-

ters of discipline under the provisions of the Army

Act of 1881, even if that were possible.

In the

case of the French interned soldiers they were it

is true placed under the Swiss *Code Pénal Militaire

Fédéral". That Code was, however, probably more

suitable to the circumstances than the British Army

Act would be to those of the present case, and it

was, moreover, in a language which the men could

understand.

Lord Lansdowne would be glad to be favoured with

any observations which the Army Council may wish to

make on the accompanying papers.

It is requested that the enclosures to the Colo-

nial Office letter, which are sent in original, may

be returned to this office with your reply.

(Signed)

I am, &c.,

was,

나