ENEMY ALIENS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1940, Page 6

ENEMY ALIENS

INTERNMENT URGED. ! (Per/press Association —Copyright). AUCKLAND; May 20l So far the Government has interned only 11 of the 290 German nationals- who are registered as enemy' aliens living in Auckland, or one in 26. In addition'- to the 290 there are 150 naturalised-Germans in the city. The first seven Germans interned were arrested of the night of December 22 last; two- more were taken into custody on February 14, and a further two on February 15. All were men. , , While the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash) was addressing a meeting at Auckland this week, an interjector urged the internment of all Germans. The Minister replied that any known Nazi jsmpathiser would be placed where he could do no harm and that as soon as the authorities found 'anyone- interfering with the ideals for which New Zealand was fighting, he 'would be stopped. The interjector replied that it wo,old then be too late. It is only two years since an account was published of a novel plebiscite of German nationals on Count' von Luckner’s yacht, Seeteufel, which" sailed from‘Auckland on April 6, 1938, to a point ,out'hide New - Zealand territoriar Waters, to permit 2o Germans and two Austrians to vote in favour of the union of their two countries. In the words of Dr. W a \ter Hellenthal, the German Consul, there were no dissentient votes. A cablegram from London last Sunday- announced the temporary internment of all German and Austrian males between the age of 16 and 60 who are in a prescribed area. PRECAUTIONS URGED. POSITION IN WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON: May 20. The possibility of enemy spies operating as saboteurs in the city of Wellington was raised by Councillor A. Black at a City Council meeting, when it .was urged , that, all possible precautions- should be taken to see that fire risk was reduded to a minimum. ‘-‘ It' was Aveli . known', Coun- . eillor Black said, that Her, Hitler' had spies ’evriryWhere,' and he personally would not be surprised to see at-; tempts id start destructive fires. In such' event, fruit" shops' which held large supplies of light timber in their yards would be particularly vulnerable. He suggested that- such firm?' be induced to remove such, inflammable material (at nights to the place wherethe fruit and vegetables were grown, and that other necessary precautions he taken. The Mayor (Mr T. C. A, Hislop) said if , the question was not covered by existing-would-be taken. Councillor L. (McKenzie asked if any investigation had been made into the personnel of 1 those who were guarding the various "public services in Wellington during the present'crisis. The Mayor' said some' time ago certain precautions -had been taken to safeguard the interests of the water supply, and the electrip system had been left for arrangements to be made bv the- electricity department. Councillor (McKenzie: Can we investigate this matte'r further? There are heaps of aliens amongst us, and wc know where they are. Councillor R. McKeen, M.P.: Yes. There was a load of them c-ame here the other day, and there are plenty of them here. The Mayor agreed to Councillor McKenzie’s request to inquire further into the personnel;-ns'requested.