Disclosure at Election Of State Secrets

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 11, 14 January 1936, Page 4

Disclosure at Election Of State Secrets

NEEDS OF THE BRITISH NAVY Sir Bolton Eyres Monsell, First Lord of the Admiralty, said at Ilford, during the election campaign, that to take part in collective security—quite apart from the defence of the British Empire—the Fleet must have up-to-date equipment, reports the Daily Telegraph. “The Socialists are now busy trying to make out that the Navy is already perfect,” he continued. “But all bounds of decency have been passed, for at Mudley, Mr. Alexander, who was Socialist First Lord, in an endeavour to uphold this contention, did not scruple to make public some technical details that we regard, and Mr. Alexander knows we regard, as being of the greatest secrecy.

“This shows that Socialists, even men who have held Cabinet rank, will go even to the lengths of disclosing most valuable and secret information to the world—including, of course, any potential enemies—to try to make some small political point.” Mr. A. V. Alexander, who contested the Hillsborough Division of Sheffield, said:

“I am surprised to learn that the statement which I made might be regarded as a breach of the Official Secrets Act. As far back as March 14 this year, in the House of Commons, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes, speaking on a new anti-aircraft gun, said:

‘ ‘ There was only one way of trying it out, and tnat was to send an aeroplane through the screen of shell fire. That, of course, was impossible, but I persuaded the Prime Minister to send the late Lord Thomson to have a look at the demonstration, which I arranged when I was Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth. I reminded Lord Thomson that he was a gunner, and told him to bring experienced air officers with him. When they saw a demonstration it left them pretty breathless. We had no more trouble, and a good deal of the expenditure the First Lord mentioned is going

to provide these anti-aircraft guns, which do safeguard a battleship, or any craft which carries them, against air attack. Indeed, a battleship is no more liable to destruction from ai 'raft than it is from any other means of attack.” Since that date, and immediately after the Naval Review, public experiments had been carried out with the new <gun, firing at an aerial wirelesscontrolled target, commonly known as tho Queen Bee, provided by the Air Ministry and reported in the Press. In / these circumstances, I am not aware of having committed any breach of the Official Secret 3 Act, and certainly have no desire to do so.”