SPY IN EXPLOSIVE FACTORY.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 173, 12 May 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

SPY IN EXPLOSIVE FACTORY.

BRITISH RENEGADES. HOME OFFICE DISCLOSURE. LONDON, March 11. Sir John Simon, who has been attacking the Government, had on Thursday night to defend the regulation originating with him by which the Home Secretary can intern British-born subjects of alien origin or associations. Mr. Samuel, replying to the criticism of Mr. Ashley and others, said that of 09 persons interned in these circumstances only 8 were British subjects of British origin. He gave six typical cases.

1. A young man of military age. born in Britain, of German parents. His father caught smuggling letters to Germany, including one from the young man expressing his wish to join the (Jcrman Armv.

2. A son of British parents, educated from the age of seven to fourteen 'n Germany, who made so little secret of his pro-German sentiments that British workmen would not allow him to work with them and he was out of cmpiovment. GERMAN* WIVES OF ENGLISHMAN 3. Daughter of a German officer, married to an Englishman. Her correspondence showed that her sentiments were strong'}' pro-German. 4. A German woman, married to an Englishman; sentenced to six months' imprisonment for espionage. 5. A person of pure Britisli birth, known to have paid visits to the head of the German Secret Service. 6. A man of British birth who. foil* years before the war, was quite clearly guilty of espionage; was committed to a lunatic asylum, recovered his sanity, obained employment in an explosive factory, and was found to be in correspondence with German agents. When, said Mr. Samuel, we considered what had been the German methods in the United States and CanaJa. everybody would agree that the notion of, the country had been right. Supposing some conspiracy had been hatched here, and outrages committed, straightway the Government ..•on Id havo been blamed because it did not forestall them. We cannot leave ourselves unarmed against peril. Mr. Ashley: Why can't you send cases to a High Court judge instead of being both prosecutor and judge yourself? Mr Samuel: Because of the difficulty of formulating a specific charge.