THE ENEMY WITHIN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 41, 12 November 1917, Page 6

THE ENEMY WITHIN

GERMANS IN AUSTRALIA. Senator Peavce (Australian Minister of Defence), in the course of a recent interview, referred to the anti j German campaign in New South Wales. "The Government Bees no reason why it should intern all naturalised and unliaturalised Germans," he said. "The policy of the Government is that whenever it receives any information inquiries are made; and, of course, in a great number of cases, inquiries are made without our heing informed from any outside source. If there is a doubt in regard to the person we give the country the benefit of the douht, not the individual. There are other means also "of dealing with aliens besides internment which are availed of, such as causing them to livo at a specified place, requiring them to report frequently to the police, and to live under certain conditions. A large number of Germans, naturalised and unnaturalised, have heen interned, and the maintenance and guarding of them costs the country a considerable sum of money.

"It seems to me." addpd Senator Pearce, "that the public have a duty to perform in this connection, ns well as the Defence Department, and that is not to make general statements of an alarmist character. But wherever any member of the public observes any suspicious action, or hears of any susnicious statement that would indicate that any Germans in our midst are inclined to be hostile, thev should immediately report to the District Commandant. There is a competent and effective staff to carry out inquiries and take any nooessarv action. Obviously, the Department does not. nnd v;ill not. diVlose all its machinery for dealim with enemies in our midst, but T cm assure the public that it is effective."