NO DANGER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2881, 20 September 1916, Page 7

NO DANGER

!' AUSTRIANS " IN THE NORTH

ACQUITTED OF DISLOYALTY ALIENS COMMISSION'S - : : REPORT '-The report of the Aliens Commission nn tho Question of whether tho Ausirians on tho gumfields in tho North of. Auckland constitute a danger to the community generally in this time of war was yesterday made .available for publication by tho Hon. Br. M'Nab,. Minister of Justice. Tho commission found generally that, thoro is ho danger to be feared. The members of tho commission who heard tho inquiry wore •Mr. J. W. Poynton and Mr. Georgo •Elliot. ■: Following was the order of reference:— ' ' .1.. Whether the existeneo of large bodies, of; Austrian subjects in the North Auckland district is ' attended .with any danger to tho'community. 2. Whether public feeling on the question is such.as to make it desirable in tho interests of the community or of the aliens themselves that steps should ho taken to segregate or intorn some or all of them. 3. Whether such segregation or internment is likely to produce any serious disturbance of existing business conditions' in the districts to and from which the aliens may be removed. 4. Whether the proposed internment of enemy subjects on the Parenga gumfield is likely to prove an effective and satisfactory, solution of any difficulty that may exist. 5. What other, or alternative, steps> if any, should be taken, to deal with the situation. The commission gives a very full exposition of the political aspirations of tho Slav races, and points out that they aro strongly opposed to tho domination of tho Teuton and the Magyar,'that, in ehort, they are older and more inveterate enemies of the rulers of tho Central Empires than wo are. Tho report deals with overt acts of Dalmatians in the north which support this statement as applied to them, and deals also with mischievous, unfounded rumours which impugned their loyalty. Apparently thoso rumours were without a shadow of justification. . j The Findings,.' The findings of the co'mmission are as follow:— . 1. Tho presenco of Dalmatians in large numbers in North Auckland is not attended with any danger to the community. 2. 'Public feeling, or the interests of the aliens or the community, do not require tbeir internnient or segregation. 3. Such internment or segregation, if carried out with respect to; large numbers of aliens now in North Auckland, would seriously disturb business ' 4. Parengarenga would be a suitable place for internment or segregation if ;. such were necessary. To peal With tho Situation. 5. As to the steps that should he taken to deal with tho situation we recommend: — (a) That tho undoubted loyalty' to the Allies in the pros'ent war, almost universally felt by.these Dalmatians, should bo made widely known, either by tho printing and circulation of this report, or' in some other way. It is not fair to them, that they should be wrongly suspected of a want of sympathy with us in our present trial. (b) That an official pronouncement should bo made that there is no reason i whatever to fear any acts of hostility ] from them. Tin's should be done to counteract the feeling of disquietude excited by the wild and.reckless statements made about them having arms, drilling under German officers, and so' on. , (c.) That committees or individuals from amongst them bo appointed with an official status. • I (d) That tho question'of refusing to renew wine licenses in distriots where there is a' Native population be considered by the Government. (e) That certificates of charaoter and loyalty bo issued to deserving Dalmatians.. (f) Earnest consideration should bo given to the desire of many of our people that licenses to dig gum on Crown lands should not in future bo issued to any fresh aliens arriving in this colony, whether naturalised or not, but that such lands should be kept for British born. UNDER CONSIDERATION, . ■ REFERRED' TO COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS. The Hon. J. Allen stated last night that tho matters dealt with in the report bad been ' referred to a special committee of the. Cabinet, a committee consisting of the Ministers in control of'the Departments concerned. Asked whether tho proposal to intern tho Austrian's at Pareng'a would be carried through, Mr. Allen said, that in view of the report, which waß a most exhaustive one, he did not think this would bo dono. No decision, however, had yet been made by tho Government.