ENEMIES IN OUR MIDST

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 102, 27 October 1914, Page 3

ENEMIES IN OUR MIDST

NO CAUSE FOR ALARM SUSPECTED SPIES IN ENGLAND. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 15th September. Any uneasiness that might have existed in regard to the presence in London and the country of large numbers of German and Austrian subjects was allayed by a reassuring statement by the Home Secretary in the House of Commons. Mr. M'Kenna, in his reply to a number of questions, said :—: — A sub-committee was appointed of the Committee of Imperial Defence as long ago as March, 1910, to consider the whole question of aliens in time of war. After a close investigation of the question, the sub-committee made a report, the proposals of which were confirmed by a full meeting of the committee, and this report has been adopted by the Government in all its details, and formed tho basis of the Order in Council made under the Aliens Restriction Act, which was passed by this House on sth August. The steps then taken have been reviewed and approved by the Government,! and are considered proper and efficient by the naval and military authorities. "I will read to the House a report which I have just received from the Commissioner of Police : 'Since the declaration of war the police, who have been strengthened for the purpose, have thoroughly investigated all -cases where they had reason to suspect espionage, as well as some 8000 or 9000 reported to _ them by members of the public. Searches have been made, and all documents found have been scrutinised. As , a result, in about 90 cases only was the suspicion of espionage sufficiently strong to warrant detention. As a result of these enquiries, and of the examination of thousands of documents, it may be affirmed that not a tittle of evidence has been obtained indicating any combination'among alien enemies to commit, acts hostile to this country, or of any kind of organisation among them. The police, who have special opportunities for gauging the feeling among alien enemies, are satisfied that no organisation exists among them for carrying out hostile acts. There is evidence of organised espionage before the war, and individuals are credibly suspected of a desire to communicate information to Germany. Such persons are invariably arrested and relegated to military custody. About 1000 alien enemies have been made over to the military in London. After the most careful consideration and experience of the working of the Aliens Restriction Act, we believe that the action taken is adequate for the present, and is such as to remove any ground whatever for public apprehension.' "The police and military will remain on the alert, and take whatever further precautions are necessary in any emergency when the occasion arises. I have no figures as to the number of naturalised persons now in this country, but at the time of the last census the number of naturalised Germans in England and Wales was 6500. I cannot agree s with the statement that large numbers of Germans and Austrians are still free to communicate with their Governments. The closest supervision is maintained over their movements and communications. I have no reason to think that any considerable number of alien enemies, other than those who -are in military custody, have not been registered. No less than 50,632 Germans and 16,- j 141 Austrians and Hungarians have been registered throughout the United Kingdom. These figures include a number of_ cases returned for more than one district. I ask the House to compare them with the figure circulated by at least one newspaper of 250,000 armed Germans who are said to be in this country, (Laughter.)"