HOUSE OF LORDS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21184, 6 August 1940, Page 10

HOUSE OF LORDS

A PEER’S REMARKS HITLER'S BRITISH GAULEITERS (From a Correspondent) LONDON, June 19 ■ Lord Marley, former Socialist Under-secretary for War, expressed pleasure in the House of Lords at the arrest of a member of the House of Commons who, he understood, had been ‘’nominated as Gauleiter of Scotland.” The only M.P. under arrest is Captain Ramsay (Conservative—Peebles), who was detained under the Defence Regulations. Lord Marley, speaking in a debate on Fascists and Communists, said: “I am very glad that the Government has seen fit to put temporarily under lock and key that wellknown mountebank—l think he is a rather more dangerous person—who, I understand is nominated as Gauleiter of England, and a member of the House of Commons who, I understand was nominated as Cauleiter of Scotland. There are one or two members of the House of Lords who should be similarly treated.”

The Daily Worker Lord Newton asked why the sale of the Daily Worker was not prohibited. He said the paper deliberately impeded Government effort and indulged in the grossest insults and charges. No other civilised country would tolerate a similar publication. A great deal of time and money was wasted in attacking the Fascists and refugees, who were not really dangerous. The real danger was the Communists. At least 90 per cent of the population were in favour of the disappearance of the Daily Worker. Lord Croft, for the Government, said the Daily Worker and other publications were being kept under review. New powers given to the Home Secretary were designed primarily to check mischevious propaganda. A recent perusal of the Daily Worker suggested that the regulations had not been entirely ineffective in that purpose. In the Commons A “vast mass of documentary material which needed very careful examination” was referred to by the Home Secretary (Sir John Anderson) when the case of the arrested M.P., Captain Ramsay, was raised in the House of Commons. When Captain Shaw asked if a charge was being preferred against Captain Ramsay. Mr Will Thome caused laughter by interjecting: “If he had not done wrong he would not have been pinched.” Sir John Anderson said no specific charge had been preferred; such arrests were made as a matter of precaution.