THE TREATMENT OF ALIENS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2468, 22 May 1915, Page 13

THE TREATMENT OF ALIENS.

Sir, —That there should bo the deepest indignation throughout the civilised world at German atrocities since the commencement of tlio war till the present moment is perfectly right and just, so not to be wondered at, but soine of tho methods- by whioh this indignation, has recently expressed itself must be repugnant to all having any sense of British fair play. The riotous conduct of mobs in England, South Africa, and elsewhere in attacking, or wrecking the property of aliens who, whether naturalised or not, may be quite foyal to Great Britain, living peaceably under its flag and entitled to its protection, is as insane as it is unjust, more especially when this is done purely in a spirit of revenge for atrocities, for which not only are the sufferers thus attacked quite irresponsible, but which may even be just aB abhorrent to them as to those seeking to wreak vengeance on them. It is most regrettable that a mob in Wanganui should have disgraced themselves by following an example, which can only be strongly reprobated by all fairminded Britishers, and it is to be hoped that a salutary example will be made of those responsible for the recent riot there.

I'iie present outcry that all Germans and Austrians living in this country, whether naturalised British subjects or not, should be forthwith interned, is also as unreasonable as it is impracticable. An alien, though not naturalised, may he perfectly loyal to the Crown, and 011 the other hand one naturalised may be living here for the purpose of giving information or assistance to his own country, of which ho is still a subject, and is therefore a treacherous and dangerous foe to us. There is a more effioacious way 'of dealing with such than the wholesale internment of all aliens, even if this were, practicable. The oase can be satisfactorily met by simple legislation. Let it be enacted that any alien suspected of giving assistance to the enemy by supplying information or otherwise shall be forthwith charged with such crime, that the onus of proof of innocence shall rest on himself, and that failure t) clear himself shall be followed by summary punishment as a spy. If this, were the law -of the land, it would soon be found that those with sinister designs, whom we might have to fear, would realise that the only' result of any. nefarious attempts on their part would probably be the forfeiture of their lives, and they' would quickly dear out. _ For the rest of loyal iind lawabiding aliens, against whom there is no breath of suspicion, to deal with them as possible traitors because of the_ deep-dyed iniquities of some of the nation, to which they may havo originally belonged, would be as uii-Bri-tish as it would be useless to our cause. Let ua exercise all due care and caution with regard to aliens, and by all means let us for the next century ostracise Germany by boycotting her goods, her ships, and everything else that is German, but let us iot descend to the level of the enemy by Bny unjust attack on aliens, who aro now living peaceably and loyally in our midst and entitled to fair play at our hands.—l am, et<r., BRITISHER, Blenheim, May 18.