ENEMY ALIENS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 142, 11 March 1919, Page 6

ENEMY ALIENS

PROBLEMS TO BE FACED

IS DEPORTATION PRACTICABLE?

'..;,,, During last session the. Minister of Defence was .asked by spveral members '"'.what'■'the Government intended to do ■with tho enemv aliens-at present held in internment camps in New Zealand. The tone of the questions indicated tho ' '-belief ' of the members that all these -'-. .aliens ought to be sent back to their . own countries.' The Minister of Defence ,- replied that aliens would be dealt with '"according to tho policy laid down by the Imperial Government." The present position is that the interned aliens are being held pending the outcome of the Peace Conference. Tho difficulties that surround the question are, not appreciated by, all the people who are demanding the immediate de•portatkm of these-men. The problems that arise when internment and deportation are proposed can be illustrated " -by quoting a few examples. The New •Zealand Government has had to face . borne ..very complex situations in its dealings with resident aliens, and has aot found it possible to lay clown pre--4 cise rules. The New Zealand internment camps _: contain some Germans who are married to women of British blood and who have ;■ children. These children are legally of ;■'■ British' nationality, and they are New Zealanders by birth and instinct. The - ■ marriages took place before the war, and, in some cases atMeast, there is little against the fathers except their ■ nationality. What is the New Zealand Government to do? If it deports ■ the men it will be likely to inflict great suffering on the women and. children. If It sends the wives and the children with the men to Germany, New Zealand women and New Zealand boys and "iris will' be exposed to' German brutality. The mothers probab\v would refuse to go in any case. They married Germans (before those Germans became enemies), bnt they are still British themselves and their children are British. Then there are .the cases ofisuch. enemy aliens as the Czccho-Slovaks, the Jugo-Slovaks, and the Poles. These men are technically enemies now, but before the Peace Conference has completed its' iwork they, may have to be counted as . citizens of/independent Allied States. •The Allies are endeavouring at the pre- ; isent time- to create or restore States in territory formerly controlled by the Germanic Powers. New Zealand has had to deal with Bohemians, for example. These .. men are enemy aliens at present, but Bohemia may presently be a friendly • State. The possibility of changes of this kind explains the official statement that alien's will be dealt with according to the policy, laid-down by the Imperial Government. The Imperial authorities '•, are_' not declaring a policy pending the decisions of the IVnce Conference. ...

The problems will not be solved com'pletely when the Conference Jibb com■nleted the remaking of the 'raai> of Europe. The reconstruction of Poland is expected to be cne of the outcomes of the Conference. How is New Zealand to determine the allegiance of a German Pole? Possibly it will be necessary to allow such a man to make n declaration of allegiance. If he declares bimself to be a loyal subject of tho new Poland, can he be deported as a German? Questions of (his kind are hard to answer, and people who have studied the position will hesitate to blame the Government for being cautious.