THE NATURALISED ALIEN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3178, 1 May 1909, Page 4

THE NATURALISED ALIEN.

The South African Naturalisation Association is asking the CDmmonwealth of Australia to co-ri crate with it in obtaining the same rights for a colonial naturalised subject as are enjoyed by a person naturalised in the United Kingdom. This revivies an old question, though one of perennial interest. As the law stands now it would appear that a colonial country can naturalise an alien on such conditions as it thinks fit to impose, but the naturalisation is virtually only operative within the jurisdiction of that particular part of the Empire. The Parliament of Canada can make an alien a Canadian subject, or that of the Commonwealth make him an Australian subject, of the King; but neither can make him a subject of the British Empire. It has happened, in consequence, that foreigners naturalised in Canada (and perhaps in Australia and New Zealand) have been called upon to fulfil obligations of their original nationality when travelling abroad, and some time ago Canada made representations in response to which ' the Imperial Government undertook to consider the extension of Imperial naturalisation, which makes the alien an Empire subject to the colonial countries. Provided agreement can be arrived at on the question of qualification—and there ought to be no difficulty about that—the agitation started by the association aims at a highly desirable reform. The colonial communities are now making strenuous efforts to attract foreign immigrants, in which they must be handicapped if they cannot give those who desire it entry to the full rights of British citizenship. We do not regard an immigrant as a man who comes

here as a visitor; on the contrary, the essential purpose is that he shall make this country his home. Yet the effect of the old naturalisation system is to treat him as inferentially a mere sojourner, who can be put on the same footing as the native while he is here, but becomes a foreigner again the minute he goes outside the country. That is net the way either to settle the young countries or to reinforce the Empire. A person who becomes a Britisher in one part of the Empire should be a Britisher all over it and wherever , he goes.