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the Bill in accordance with the decision of the Committee. It was now provided that, if an aircraft flying over an area in which flying was prohibited under the Bill disobeyed the signal to comply with the regulations in existence—

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it shall be lawful for the officer to fire at or into such aircraft and to use any and every other

“means necessary to compel such compliance, and every and any such officer and every other person acting in his aid and by his direction shall be and is hereby indemnified and discharged “from any indictment, penalty, action or other proceeding for so doing.”

LORD HALDANE said that the only criticism he had now to make was that no new offence was created by this Bill. Therefore, unless the action of the aircraft infringed some other Act, such as the Official Secrets Act, no action could be taken against its crew beyond firing at them. They could not be prosecuted if caught.

THE PRIME MINISTER asked whether the Law Officers had been consulted.

COLONEL SEELY replied that that was the case.

MR. HARCOURT said that it would be advisable to communicate with the Dominion Governments on the subject with a view to their introducing legislation on similar lines, and the Crown Colonies would also have to be instructed to make ordinances of similar tenor. At Gibraltar and Malta it was important to take immediate actiou.

THE PRIME MINISTER said that copies of the Bill should be communicated to the Dominions and to India. It would also be necessary for similar powers to be taken in Egypt.

SIR ARTHUR NICOLSON said that it might be difficult for the Egyptian Government to take similar powers. The matter would be referred to Lord Kitchener. LORD CREWE said that the Indian Government had already passed a general Act for controlling airships.

COLONEL SEELY said that there was one small point which he ought to mention. This was that it had been ascertained since the Report was signed, that it would be more convenient for the register of aircraft to be kept by the Super- intendent of the Aircraft Factory at Farnborough than by the Commandant of the Central Flying School.

THE PRIME MINISTER said that, subject to any necessary amendment required to make the Bill an effective weapon in all cases of an infringement of its provision or of the regulations made thereunder, the Report might be approved. As regarded the organization of the defence of vulnerable points against the dangers pointed out by Mr. Churchill, the Admiralty and War Office might confer.

MR. CHURCHILL said that the Home Office were also interested.

(Conclusion.)

Subject to any necessary amendment required to make the Bill effective in all cases, the Report of the Sub-Committee on the Control of Aircraft (C.I.D. paper, 166-B) is approved.

IV. PRESS CENSORSHIP IN TIME OF WAR. Report of the Standing Sub-Committee (C.I.D. paper 167-B). COLONEL SEELY said that a great improvement on the former position of affairs as regards the publication in the newspapers of naval and military information which it was desirable in the interests of the country to keep secret, had recently been brought about by the agreement which had been negotiated by Mr. Brade and Sir Graham Greene with representatives of practically the entire Newspaper Press.

The history of these negotiations was given in Appendix IV to the Report, and he thought that they were very much indebted to Mr. Brade and to Sir Graham Greene for their success. The whole of the daily journals were included in the agreement as well as some of the technical and service weekly news- papers, and as to the remaining weekly and monthly newspapers and reviews, arrangements to include them were in progress. The agreement was in writing, but it was merely a friendly one, and in no way enforceable. Action had, however, been

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