GERMAN PRISONERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 298, 12 September 1919, Page 7

GERMAN PRISONERS

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S ' ' POLICY? ' i In February, 1918, a German living - !!* ' Grey "Lynn, ami who had resided in Now ; Zealand for over twenty years, and who ! had a New Zealand wife and children.: born in the Dominion,-was .arrested and '■• internod us an ouemy alien, : and since...-, that tinio (says the Auckland ; ."Star ) I the Amalgamated Soeicty.-'c-f'.Carpentera I and Joiners, of which' ho is a :] has been engaged in making represents* .-,; tions to tii© Minister of Defence, firat j in regard to somo measure ;'6n.bleinon.cy. ; j for the prisoner, on account of his gooct. j reputation, and latterly for his release j in. view of the signing of tho Peace y. Treaty. ■ :j To"the inquiry as to what measure or ,}. relief could be afforded to the-British, s wiiV and New Zealand ohildren of the ■'; internee, tho Government Teplied that | the only provision made was application. '} for assistaneo from the Charitable Aid: ; Board, while ia response to inquiry as to.', tho reasons for the internment of thoY-.i man Sir James Allen infonned.tho.union.'.;', that it was because it was considered j that if the opportunity occurred ha,; would assist his own'country. Sortie tuna ..- after tho signing of the armistice they, union again'wrote stating that the ■.; rumour that the interned men were to be. i returned to Germany had caused great ;,,■_) anxiety to the family of tho man,, who-:j declared that neither they nor tho.father-;; had any desire to go to Germany or for,.; the family to be split up.' Tho Minister .;| wrote in reply tliat it was' impossiblei to- j release tho man yet, and that tho dis- +> posal of enemy aliens who desired to re- : , main in the country had still to be-do-, j cided. A further appeal by the union m ":j tho month of May suggesting that the } .man should bo allowed out on parole, \ seeing that he was a useful tradesman, ■ i was also turned a deaf ear to by, tne..j Minister. . ' . ;'■; Finally, in August, the union'wrote a:,., further'letter to Sir James Allon ■point-'.-.j iug out that it could not understand .) why tho member was still kept in intern- ; ineiit, seeing that tho Peace Treaty was \ signed and that his wifo and ' children. -~ were British, and on tho 4th ofthw ■ . month the Minister' replied that , tho.■•<) matter had been considered by. Übinety. ; ; which came to the decision that no ac- - ; ] Hon could bo taken in the direction of'.-, releasing tho internee at tho ■ present ■', t|me. _______—. •