ENEMY ALIENS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 July 1918, Page 7

ENEMY ALIENS.

TO INTERN OR NOT? STATEMENT BY ACTING- ' PREMIER.. Sir James Allen (Acting-Prime Minister and Minister for Defence), asked by a Times representative on Friday whether lie had anything to say on the aliens quest ion, in view of the resolutions passed by the Wellington City Council and other local bodies throughout the Dominion, said: "First of all, I want to make it clear that there is a distinction between an alien and an alien enemy. The flrßt is a citizen of a State with which we are not at war, but the second is a citizen of a State with which we are at war. I believe there is a good deal of confusion in the public mind on thb point. In respect to alien enemies we are adopting very much the practice which has been adopted at Home. "GONE RATHER FURTHER." '■ln fact, we have gone rather further, because we have issued Jiose regulations under which v..» can put alien enemies to work, < r, if they don't accept that, can intern them. But we have internej, and in this we have followed the British practice, nil those who are in any way considered disloyal or dan":<>rous; and the best service the people can render, who are talking so much about alien enemies, would be to inform us if they know of their own knowledge of any who are disloyal or dangerous. Then we can make full enquiries, and, if their opinion is a correct one, wc will intern them. That would be rendering them some real service. And then I venture to suggest that the proposition to intern everyone who is born of alien enemy parents would create grave injustices. SONS OF ALIEN ENEMY PARENTS. 'I know of a case in which three sons of a German father went to.the front, were iu the battle of Messines, and, I think, were about the first over the trenches. Two of them were killed and one wounded on the very same day. These boys have a brother in the Public Service. According to some of the resolutions passed, the Government would have to take him out of the iPublic Service and intern him; but I am not prepared to endorse such a policy." The Minister also mentioned a striking case that occurred at Gallipoli. All the officers of a certain unit were killed, and the sergeant-major said that he did not feel competent to "carry on" in the very difficult circumstances, and suggested that the men should choose a man to act as tv temporary officer. They adopted his suggestion and chose —, the son of an alien enemy. This young fellow, without calling for volunteers to assise him, went out alone, got in touch with the other bodies of our troops, brought up reinforcements, and extricated his unit from their trying position. Later the men were called upon to elect a permanent officer, and they selected the man who had thus signally proved his metal. "The fact is," added Sir James Allen, "that we have to discriminate; and, if the public will help us to discriminate, they will render good service. "PUTTING THEM TO WORK." "Another point is this, they talk about putting these enemy aliens to work. But there is some difference between soldier, or combatant, prisoners of war and civilians, or non-combatant, 'prisoners of war. We have power to put combatant prisoners of war to work, but no power to put civilian prisoners of war to work, except to light fatigues about camp j and if they were put to work at these light fatigues, we should have to pay them. We would not object to that, but their own Government —the German Government—have sent instructions out to them not to. work. We have very few combatant prisoners of war in New Zealand—practically only the Seaddler's men. There are only about fourteen of them. To go and put them to Government work would mean a guard, and the guard would cost more than the labor than we should get out of £he men would be worth. "Of course, we have always to remember that tho other side can retaliate, and will do so, if we do anything foolish; and their retaliation is not only against us, but against our Allies, and also against other British prisoners of war. In any case, the AVar Office has the determining voice in these matters. New Zealand cannot determine international questions like this. If we attempted to do so, great difficulties would result. So far as is practicable, New Zealand is absolutely following the example of Great Britain in regard to enemy aliens. If anything, as I have stated, we have gone further than the British regulations, but only so far a3 to give the enemy aliens the option of work or interment."