"FIFTH COLUMN"

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 3, 3 July 1940, Page 9

"FIFTH COLUMN"

APPEAL FOR CHECK

LORD ELIBANK URGENT

8.8.C. MENTIONED

(By Air Mail, from "The Post's" London Representative.)

LONDON, May 24.

Investigation of the 8.8.C. personnel was urged by Viscount Elibank when, in the House of Lords, he pressed for further steps to check potential "fifth column" activities. The 8.8.C., said Lord Elibank, would be the first institution to be taken over by a Nazi invading force, and the Government should make sure that there was not a single individual for whom they could not vouch.

There is at least one individual whom I know in the _S.B.C. in London who | certainly should not occupy the posi-j tion he does," he stated. "1 ao not propose to name him here, but 1 shall give his name on a piece of paper to the Duke of Devonshire, who is to reply. This individual is married to a German lady whose brother is fight•ing against us." Lord Elibank did not believe that we could trust a single German today. Only 6000 out of 60,000 Germans and Austrians in this country were interned. Why. were men over 60 and under 16 excluded from these orders? Why were only males interned? This country was riddled with alien women. He was authorised by the Chief Constable of Oxford to say that he was very disquieted by the situation there. There were some 477 enemy aliens in, Oxford. He had made representations to the Home Secretary, and no steps had been taken.

"We ask the Government to intern anyone, until the war is over, of whatever nationality, male or female, who might be of the slightest value to the enemy."

Lord March wood, supporting the ! motion, said thousands of our airmen. | soldiers, and sailors had lost their lives because spies had been neglected |in other countries. If stronger measures were not taken here and things happened in a bad way the Home Secretary and the Government would be i responsible for the lives which would Ibe lost. "LORD HAW-HAW'S" INFOKMA- | TION. i The Duke of Devonshire* said that a considerable number of persons of British nationality had been arrested that morning. Stories of "Lord Haw-Haw's" astonishing local knowledge had been investigated, but there was not a shadow of evidence that he had received information from this country. "Lord Haw-Haw" might have gained information from local papers. Lord Elibank: "Lord Haw-Haw" has mentioned things which would not be given in local papers. The Duke of Devonshire continued that advocates of wholesale internment should remember that the vast majority of aliens and refugees here hated Germany more than we did, and that many with high qualifications were in jobs of great national importance. The clearing of aliens from our eastern and southern coastal areas had removed the danger of "fifth columnists" co-operating with any German military plan of invasion. As to future action it was inadvisable ta announce details which would enable further dispositions to be made by any "fifth columnists" there might be. The steps taken had fully satisfied the authorities. He hoped they would not be stampeded into joining in the cry "Intern the lot." Many of these so-called enemy aliens were putting their backs into what was their cause as well as ours. Mr. Duff Cooper, Minister of Information, stated in a written Parliamentary reply, that all official announcements will in future be transmitted to the 8.8.C. by the Ministry. A system of checks had been established which would make a recurrence of the recent hoax . impossible, he added. On May 13, it may be recalled; a telephone message, purporting to originate from the Air Ministry, was received by the 8.8.C., and was broadcast. It called on the R.A.F. Volunteer Reservists to report to their bases and child evacuees were warned to keep away from R.A.F. stations.