The Evening Star. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1911.

Evening Star, Issue 14495, 21 February 1911, Page 4

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1911.

The Houndsditch murders and the amaz-

England and the Alien Plague.

ing “ Battle of Sidney street” have naturally had the effect of concentrating public attention in England open the circumstances of what has been termed (perhaps not very extravagantly) “the alien plague.” Mr Arnold White, the well-known social publicist, has studied the problem of alienism-cum-anarchism for many years, and his contribution to the discussion of its latest phase is interesting and valuable. Incidentally, Mr • Whit®-is very.severe upon the. actign-ai - -

Mr Winston Churchill at the Sidney street engagement, and lie even insinuates that the Home Secretary’s too enterprising egotism must bo hold accountable for the serai-farcical elements which mingled with the tragedy of that occasion. I wish to express tho indignation I felt at seeing a Cabinet Minister, the mouthpiece of the Legislature in homo affairs, actually supersede an executive officer in the performance of his rightful duties, and them himself. No wonder that a thousand men wore needed to capture a couple of scoundrels when an orator and ex-subaltern, with a passion for tho limelight, was allowed without protest to supersede the Chief of the Police, and take upon his own amateur shoulders tho functions of a skilled official.

But Mr Churchill's eccentricities, which (as in the rase of his father, quarter of a century ago) some people find so attractive and others so irritating, have no direct relation to the vital problem with which the British Government and Parliament are confronted. In (Mr Arnold White’s opinion, the occurrences of last December will be repeated again and again, in East London or elsewhere, unless preventive measures, at once drastic and well-considered, are courageously adopted. Such measures (he believes) would have been enforced long ago but for the sinister presence of the exigencies of party politics. Liberals and Conservatives are alike afraid of the alien vote—especially the Jewish section of that vote. The Conservatives passed a quite inadequate Aliens Act, while the present Liberal Government even refuse to go the length of giving effect to its mild provisions. Every race has its bad residuum, and unfortunately the dregs of Continental Judaism arc apt to find their way to London. Mr White takes a dispassionate view of this aspect, however, and he is not without iiope that (if the element of partisanship can only be got rid of) the leaders of Jewish opinion in England will be able and willing to give the Government a helping hand. The majority of the Jews are lawabiding citizens, and repay the gift of asylum by good conduct. ... lam convinced that the leaders of the Jewish community will be satisfied that the time has now arrived for the enactment of an Aliens Act very different in scope and intention from the Act. introduced by the Unionists, and practicallv dropped bv Mr Churchill.

An Aliens Act, to be of any good, must exclude undesirable aliens, says Mr White —obviously, no doubt, but evidently with pointed meaning. The Government should obtain the record of every foreigner in England, irrespective of race, religion, or nationality ; and notice should bo given to whom it may concern that on and after a fixed date all foreigners entering the country must not only bo free from crime, disease, and pauperism, but also be provided with ready means of identification. Again, the carrying of arms by foreigners should bo declared illegal, except by special permit. It should be possible to exclude charity-cadgers and paupers (professional or otherwise) by means of tiro same legislation as would keep out the anarchist conspirator and murderer. These are Mr Arnold White's views, and his reputation and record entitle them to respectful consideration. Few will deny that something ought to be done. A telegram from St. Petersburg, which appeared in ‘The Times’ in the first week of the year, probably represents the opinion of must Continental authorities, to whom the KnglLsh laissezfaire attitude is almost inexplicable. In connection with the Houndsditch and Sidney street affair the Russian jioliee authorities are of tlib opinion that it is necessary, from tho Knglish point of view, to establish an extensive service of surveillance of foreign arrivals. The ports, it is considered, should be watched with tho utmost care, and any doubtful clraracters should bo immediately reported to tho various centres of police organisation. It is held that the work of the Continental police to lay Anarchists and other international criminals hy the heels is greatly impeded by the comparative immunity granted to such persons once they have landed in England.

A national prejudice against tho characteristic methods of tho Russian police should not prevent the British Government from paying heed to counsel which, in the matter under notice, is not unlikely lo be bf the Lest possible kind. Murderous designs will never be combated by pseudo-humanitarian means.