ENEMY ALIENS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20042, 14 September 1939, Page 9

ENEMY ALIENS

GOVERNMENT’S POLICY SYSTEM OF CONTROL BROAD-MINDED BUT FIRM CAREFUL SUR Y EILLANCB (Parliaimmtary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The special attitude of Parliament towards the enemy alien was briefly discussed during the consideration of the Emergency Regulations Bill in the House of Representatives yesterday, and the Government’s policy, which met with general approval, was expressed by the acting-Prime Minister, >;he Hon. P. Fraser, in these terms:’ “It would be folly to neglect precautions. Still our laws and regulations will be carried out in a broad-minded, generous fashion. Firmness does not :mply vindictiveness.”

The subject was raised by Mr. J. Hargest (Nat., Avvarua), who sugges'cd that as New Zealand had, in ihe goodness of its heart, admitted a number of aliens who could be classed as enemy aliens, some care would have to be taken in handling that problem to prevent sabotage which might weaken our war effort.

The next Government speaker, Mr. J. A. Lee, did not disagree, but ire suggested that the authorities should uvoid making anybody suffer who had L>een already compelled to suffer under me tinier regime. Some people vvuh the best mienuons in me worm iingiit cm a grave hardship, it would, no declared, be a little short of heantueuknig if people who had been driven out of middle Europe were to be persecuted in this country. He sincerely trusted that the men and women of New Zealand would realise it was not human beings we were fighting, but systems of dictatorship. They wondered how any nation could allow itself to be militarised to swallow propaganda that could scarcely deceive anyone with an intellect — propaganda from a book which stated that the aim of the propagandist was to lie —but there were millions of decent people on whom this system had been imposed by the weapons of the political gangster. We should all hope that its victims would not again come under the lash. Broad-Minded Approach The acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, expressed the opinion that the measure, with its extraordinary powers, had been discussed with a broad-minded approach to the subject.

He added that references had been made to the stranger within our gates, fie recalled the outcry in 1914 against certain estimable citizens who were good citizens. He also remembered the fair-minded, liberal attitude of the man who bore the greatest burden of all, Sir James Allen, who had shown him files which displayed wellbalanced judgment and great generosity towards these people. Circumstances to-day were different, for in New Zealand were men and women, mostly Jewish, Who had been forced out of Hurpoe by the invader of their country.

“It would,” he continued, “be a tragedy and a disaster if, because of their misfortune in their old homes, they were persecuted in their new one.”

He believed this was the general view of the House, but he could give an assurance that nothing would be left undone to see that no foolish person did harm in this country. The Commissioner of Police was assisted by capable officers who made a study of the problem. He was an alert and broad-minded man. Very competent officers had been set aside to deal with the problem of the alien and the stranger amongst us, and they were satisfied that, with occasional interviews and general surveillance, the problem of control could be carried

out in a friendly and at the same time efficient way. He felt there was no cause for fear in regard to the great majority of these people for, probably, those who had the strongest personal feelings against dictatorships were those who had escaped from within its borders and who would, if given the opportunity, be the first to join up and fight.