OFFICIAL SECRETS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23078, 1 July 1938, Page 11

OFFICIAL SECRETS

POLITICIAN'S QUESTION NEW DEVELOPMENT WAR OFFICE INQUIRY MEMBER SUMMONED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received June 30, 5.3 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, June 20 The question of Parliamentary privilege raised in the House of Commons on Monday had a dramatic sequel in the House to-day when Mr. D. Sandys, Conservative member for Norwood, a son-in-law of Mr. Winston Churchill, announced that in his capacity as an officer of the Territorial Army he had received orders to appear to-morow in uniform to give evidence before a military Court of Inquiry.

Mr. Sandys appealed to the Speaker for guidance. He said the question of how far it was permissible to compel a member of Parliament to divulge the source of information used by him in the discharge of his Parliamentary duties was in process of being considered by the House. In those circumstances, he submitted, it was a gross breach of the privilege of the House that he should be summoned before a military tribunal. The member asked the Speaker to declare that he had made out a prima facie case of breach of privilege. The Speaker, amid 'cheers, ruled that Mr. Sandys had made out a prima facie case. Animated Scene Ensues To-morrow's debate on the motion to establish a Select Committee has aroused great interest, both in Parliament and in the press, and Mr. Sandys' appeal to the Speaker, and the disclosure that he had been summoned before a military tribunal in advance of this debate, and of his report to the Select Committee, caused a marked sensation in the House. Mr. Attlee and Sir Percy Harris, Liberal member for Bethnal Green, called attention to what they regarded as a curious circumstance —that, while the House had taken cognisance of certain incidents, and on the motion of Mr. Chamberlain himself was to establish a Select Committee to inquire into these matters, the Army Council, for which Mr. Hore-Belisha and the whole Government must take responsibility, had appointed a tribunal to inquire into cognate questions, and had summoned a member of the House to appear before it in his military capacity. Suspension of Summons Asked ' Mr. Chamberlain contended that the appointment of a military CouH of Inquiry was almost ari automatic proceeding. He and Mr. Hore-Belisha argued that there was no question of the Court of Inquiry trespassing upon the privileges of the House, or interfering with the inquiry of the Select Committee, which was directed to quit© a different question. Mr. Hore-Belisha said the purpose of the Court of Inquiry was to ascertain if, and if so, how an officer of the British Army had committed a breach of trust. Mr. Chamberlain later announced that Mr. Hore-Belisha had agreed to ask the Army Council to suspend the summons to Mr. Sandys as a territorial officer until the committee on privileges had reported- on the prima facie case of breach of privilege, which Mr. Speaker had ruled had been made out. In a written answer to a question asked by Mr. A. G. Erskine-Hill (Conservative —Edinburgh), who asked whether the Official Secrets Act would be strengthened so as to avoid leakages of information in matters of national importance, the AttorneyGeneral, Sir Donald Somervell, said the question had not been considered.

Mr. Sandys, who is a nephew of the late Mr. Duncan Cameron, of Christcluirch, New Zealand, is 30 years of age. Ho married Miss Diana Churchill, daughter of Mr. Winston Churchill. He is a second lieutenant in the 51st (London) Anti-Aircraft Brigade. Mr. Sandys had forwarded to the Secretary of State for War, Mr. L. Hore-Belisha, tho draft of a question he proposed to put on the Order Paper, the contents of which he was informed later by the Attorney-General were held by tho War Office to indicate tho disclosure of highly secret information relating to Britain's anti-aircraft defences.

INTENSE FEELING SHOWN

DEMAND BY OPPOSITION THREATS AGAINST MINISTER (Received June 30, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 29 Tho Leader of the Opposition, Mr. C. R. Attlee, in tho debate on tho official secrets question, described tho treatment of Mr. Sandys as an affront to the House. The affair created a remarkable sensation in the House and there were signs of intense feeling. Members of tho Opposition demanded to know whether Mr. Hore-Belisha would reveal if ho had sanctioned the Army inquiry. The Minister said ho was not present when the Army Council ordered tho inquiry but he took full responsibility. The leakage of secret information would not bo allowed without an inquirj - . The Daily Telegraph states that after tho receipt of threats special police protection has been given Mr. HoreBelisha. The authorities believe tho threats were from some irresponsible and probably unbalanced person, but they are not-faking any risk.