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The Cabinet considers events

The Prime Minister (in the Chair)
The Rt Hon. R. McKenna, M.P. Home Secretary
The Rt Hon, Sir Edward Grey, Bt, M.P. Foreign Secretary
The Rt Hon. J. E. B. Seely, D.S.O., M.P. Secretary of State for War,
The Rt Hon. T. McKinnon Wood, M.P. Secretary for Scotland,
The Rt Hon. A. Birrell, K.C. M.P. Chief Secretary for Ireland
The Rt Hon. S. Buxton, M.P. President of the Board of Trade

Field Marshal Sir J. French, KCB, KCMG, GCVO, Chief of the Imperial General Staff
Sir E. Henry, KCB, GCVO, KPM, Commisioner of Police of the Metropolis
F. Caldwell Esq., Head Constable, Liverpool City Police
H. P. P. Lane Esq., Chief Constable, Lancashire
Lt Col H. M. A. Warde, Chief Constable, Kent
...
3. The Current Disturbances

The Home Secretary said that the situation across the North and in South Wales is rapidly deteriorating. Police Officers are becoming exhausted by the demands placed upon on them and many have been injured. There is every indication that the location and timing of outbreaks of violence have been designed to maximise the pressures placed on police forces and their ability to respond in a timely and effective manner. The position in North East England was particularly grave, especially on Tyneside and in the Northumberland mining areas and on Teesside amongst steel workers, where rioting had taken place each day for the past four days.

He said that with the approval of the Prime Minister he had asked the Commissioner and his colleagues to attend to give evidence on the capacity of the police service to meet the pressures now placed upon them by the present disorders in the coalfields. He had intended that one of the Chief Constables from the North East would be in attendance today, but the grave situation they faced prevented their attendance. They were however in daily communication with his office.

The Commissioner said that he was speaking for all the Chief Constables here present and had been in communication with many others on the issue. They were all of the opinion that while there was no orchestrated conspiracy, many normally disparate groups were finding ways to come together to make the most of the present unrest. In London and Liverpool there was strong evidence of involvement by Irish nationalists, in London by Indian nationalists. In both these cases there is a suggestion of German support. Communist agitators were at work in all the industrial areas of the country, prominent among whom was Tom Mann. Some Republicans, such as James Connolly were known to be sympathetic to the ideas espoused by Mann and others, and the possible coming together of Irish and Communist agitation was not something to be desired. The activities of Orangemen in Ireland were also it seems receiving some support from German quarters, presumably under the principle of general mischief making. Lt Col. Warde added that although the majority of the disturbances had been in the main cities and industrial areas of the North of England, there had also been some disturbances in the Kent Coalfields.

The Prime Minister asked the Home Secretary if in his opinion the police in the North East of England could continue to cope with current levels of violent behaviour. The Home Secretary replied that that stage had not yet been reached but matters were coming close. In view of the events in Newcastle in June, troops already despatched to the area were being used so far as possible to escort food convoys and guard key establishment such as railway yards and the like. Even in these limited roles they regularly come under attack. On three occasions these attacks have involved the use of firearms.

The CIGS said that while he could provide a small number of additional troops for use in the North East, this would mean moving them from elsewhere which was likely to provide an opening for further disruption in those locations. He did not have enough men to deploy on routine police patrols and did not consider it desirable to do so. Commitment of extra men would in any case mean withdrawal from duties in the colonies and would take some time to arrange. He did not believe it advisable to withdraw men from duties in Ireland.

The Prime Minister asked the Home Secretary if an increase in the number of Special Constables might help to release police from more routine duties. The Home Secretary replied that the numbers of Special Constables had been doubled since 1910 and they were already fully committed. It was not possible to despatch Special Constables from one area of the country to another and so there was also the possibility of some sympathies existing between the Special Constables and local people, much as had already been seen with some units of the Territorial Forces. He was of the opinion that the problems experienced with the Territorials in Newcastle were as much to do with such local sympathies as with indiscipline or cowardice.

The Prime Minister asked the Foreign Secretary what calls upon the Army and Navy might be foreseeable given Army mobilisations in Germany and elsewhere. The Foreign Secretary replied that there seemed a high risk of war breaking out somewhere in Europe and Britain being drawn in could not be ruled out. It was important therefore to keep the Army as ready for action as was possible. The Army Manoeuvres planned for September were a part of maintaining that state of readiness.

The Prime Minister asked the Commissioner and the Chief Constables for their views on how the Police might be better able to meet the calls on them in times of civil disorder. Lt Col Warde suggested that consideration be given to the creation of a National Police Force, distinct from present local constabularies, specially trained to deal with major disturbances to the peace. Constitutionally the use of the Army in such circumstances was always difficult, and the chain of command was not always as clear as it might be. A national force, organised on military lines, with military standards of discipline, but under civilian direction might offer a way through these difficulties. The most effective police actions in such disturbances often involved the use of horses, so such a force might well benefit from being mounted. As with the Army they should also be armed.

The Commissioner was concerned that such a force might be seen as converting the Police into units of the Army rather than vice versa, but he could nevertheless see merit in the idea. Mr Caldwell asked who would command such a force if they were called in to police a disturbance such as those in Liverpool last year or those in Newcastle last month. Would the responsibility for their disposition be handed to the Special Force Commander or would it remain with the local Constabulary? If the former it might well have the effect raised by the Commissioner. If such a force was raised he was of the opinion that they should be seen as an Auxiliary Force and placed under local command. Mr Lane asked if such a Force would have investigatory powers since again this might well duplicate efforts in local forces.

The Prime Minister said that there appeared only to be three choices available. First an increase in the overall numbers of the police, but it could not be guaranteed that any additional numbers would be in the right location in the event of any disturbances. Second some changes might be made to the way in which the Army was called in, probably by recourse to the Emergency Powers Act just signed by His Majesty. Third was the creation of a National Police Auxiliary to be organised along the lines suggested by Lt Col Warde. He asked the Home Secretary to prepare a paper setting out pro and con of each of these, for consideration in seven days time.