AWAITING COURT-MARTIAL

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1933, Page 7

AWAITING COURT-MARTIAL

ARREST OF BRITISH OFFICER. QUESTIONS IN PARLIAMENTBy Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, * March 1. i; A question was asked in thfi House of Commons to-day regarding Lieutenant Baillie-Stewart, of the Seaforth Highlanders, who is allegedly under close military arrest and was transferred from Aidershot to the Tower of London-. A complaint was made that his solicitors were placed at a disadvantage by, the change, and that the reason for the arrest was not stated. j Mr. Duff Cooper, Under-Secretary of; War, replied that a very grave was involved and therefore the closest' observation of the prisoner was neces-j sary. 1 This was one of the points nn which the complaint was made by 'me., prisoner’s father and led to the appeal to politicians to intervene. % It is understood that the charge against 1 the offiser is laid under the Official Secrets Act. ' . . A cable dated February 20 stated that the strange case of “the officer of the Tower” had attracted increasing attention since the War Office’s cart statement that “an officer of the Seaforth Highlanders is under arrest in the Tower « London on a charge of having committed an offence under the Official Secrets Act.” Crowds specially visit the Tower to watch the prisoner in uniform, hut wiifcout his sword, and escorted by an officer of the Coldstream Guards, who at present garrison the Tower, take a daily walk across the parade ground past the site of the ancient scaffold— the «ene of many famous executions. As the pair appear the spectators exclaim, ‘There he is!” and level cameras. Newspapers are protesting, against .an. officer of a crack British regiment being thus publicly exhibited pending a courtmartial. The War Office announced on February 20 that the officer is Lieutenant N. Bail-lie-Stewart, and that he would be tried by a general court-martial, probably early in March. . _ The Army List discloses that Lieutenant Baillie-Stewart is attached to the Army Service Corns at Aidershot The identity of the prisoner had been widely known prior to the official announcement, but the publication of his name had been prohibited. The Coldstream Guards officers, who escort the prisoner, include Lieutenant Chamberlain, a son of Sir Austen Chamberlain.