ALIENS IN THE NORHT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 19, 22 January 1916, Page 9

ALIENS IN THE NORHT.

(To the Editor.)' '■!.' - ) Sir,—ln the letter, " Fairplay to Dal- - raatians," "A Britisher" accuses mc ol • giving a misleading and untrue account of the position in the north. I do not i know what induced "A Britisher" to i make that accusation, as'everybody in > the North ; kn'owe that'itt-iny letter 1 J wrote just the plain truth. In my 'long i experience on the gumfields of/'Nortn , Auckland, I, and everybody else;'have ■ known them as Atistrians, everybody ha 3 - seen their advertisements, of Austrian sports; in nearly every sports pro- > gramme in the North there used to be 1 special. Austrian events, and. I' nave > never, heard, ol a single instance where " that name has been objected to. As for ' mc mistaking the red, white and blue for'tho Austrian flag, it is ridiculous.,. ,1. '■• have served in the capacity of AJ3. and " quartermaster onboth Britien and Aus--3 trian merchant ships; .and : I do not--0 need to look very closely to know tho " difference between the Union Jack and P the Austrian flag; and if it is "abs<* 0 lutelyincorrect" tha.t the Austrian fla? ' has ever been flown in the Norths then ' I and-everybody else-but "A Britisher" nave been- dreaming- all our lives. The offer to forth a 'Slavonian legion to be sent to Servia certainly seems like underhand work to mc. If they are loyal to Britain, why don't they, offer.their •' service lunSe'flditio-nally, as overy- Brit- ' isher dotfeey>tek to be sent "to fight I%3tr o*ll coiintrymen.. and relatives when they ceDld v EQfveJ Britain; as well elsewhere 1 ? -If' tiiey ]: h^ye. Keeii; oppressed by the Anstriaas for, centuries, how docs " A Britielier " make but that they are offering to eaerifice their livess in our causeT, And " A'Brftishef,";wants f, to know -what I would suggest .be done with them. I would suggest, tbajt every 1 Austrian, naturalised or not; .who isiit foir iehnce and who does' not enliet; In s Ihe Expeditionary Force within a certain I time, be interned and made to work; for his living. "A Britisher "would Jremini ine that ! if I had the " lucfc" to get to'- ," the front I wooid be fightnig3side byj , side with about 40 or 50 of th<sm. ■ Well, j I have had the "luck" to get there j 3 already, Mid in short time. I will j 1 be there again, and -I-would certainly) I like to see more or 50 out of j about 3,000 or 4,000," mostly r'able-b'odied I single men; why, I; believe are more Germane ~in the '-Australasian forces.—l ani, etc., ... ,'.,-,, ,;■ '' 1 TROOPER 1 , .-BLCKMFIEU); ' ; '. V; lltn Waiharara, 19th January,: 1916.. . ;