ENEMY ALIENS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2536, 10 August 1915, Page 4

ENEMY ALIENS

The report of the Aliens' Board on the case of Professor von Zedlitz is more reimirk-able for what it omits than what ifc contains. The propriety of employing an imnaturalisccl German as a professor at Victoria College has exercised the public _ mind for many months past. This was tho yon Zedlitz case, as tha public knew it. The von Zedlitz case as dealt with by the Aliens Board is a different matter altogether. It is (1) whether the Professor should bo interned, and (2) whether ho should be dealt with as a disaffected person. The Board's answer to botli these questions is in the negative. This is satisfactory so far as it goes, but such a finding does not touch the principle really involved in this case. Wo have been informed that all unnaturnliscd Germans on the staffs of Biitish universities have long ago been suspended. At Edinburgh University the services of all persons of German nationality on any of tho staffs were dispensed with within a few weeks of the opening of war. Pkofessor Eggeling, an unnaturalised German, who had occupied the Chair of Sanskrit at Edinburgh for nearly fortyyears, resigned his position voluntarily. The University of Melbourne last month decided to terminate the employment of all persons who are enemy subjects. These facts show that unnaturalised Germans as instructors of youth aro considered out oE place in other parts of tho Empire. But ifc was not so much the wisdom or unwisdom of continuing tho employment of enemy aliens in our public institutions that induced us to refer to this subject as tho curious methods of procedure which appear to have been adopted by the Aliens Board in tho pursuance of its investigations. The report on Professor von Zedlitz's case seems in this respect to suggest serious defects. The Board's order of reference in the first place is unnecessarily restricted. It is laid down that no inquiry shall be made cxccpt upon tho written request (f a Minister, and even then the inquiry shall be limited to the "matters and persons specified." One would have thought that on matters of such vital importance it would have been impossible to have too wide and full investigation. What opportunity is the public afforded of giving evidence as to the character or occupation of unnaturalised aliens whoso cases arc being inquired into ? Why, for instance, in tho case of Professor von Zedlitz did the Aliens Board refrain from calling for evidence from .the member of the College Council who had moved to dispense with tho Professor's services? It called other members of the Council to testify, why did it not call this member 1 These are all questions that require answering. It certainly seems to us that tho proper method of dealing with these cases is to give> public notification •that inquiry is to bo made into the character and conduct of certain named persons at a given place and date, and invite those people who ■ wish to give evidence to do so. Such a procedure would at least be highly preferable to that which appears lo be practised.