The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1940. Britain Awakens

Northern Advocate, 28 May 1940, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1940. Britain Awakens

DOWN through the centuries Britain has afforded asylum to refugees who have fled from their own countries to escape oppression and threat of death. The consequence has been the development of a, large alien population. Visitors to London have been astounded by the great demonstrations held by the alien nopulation. On May Day, for instance, it has not been unusual to see thirty thousand aliens, men, women and children, assembled in Hyde Park for the purpose of disseminating the very class of propaganda aimed at upsetting the British Constitution. • , With the exception of the London police, who have saleguarded the aliens from possible attack, there have probably been only a handful of British people present. British citizens, devoted to the principle of “liberty of the subject,” have seen nothing worthy their opposition in the spectacle of Communist, Socialist and Anarchist Sunday Schools marching through the streets of the city. They have boldly carried at the head of each procession a red banner emblazoned with the name and character of their Sunday School. Scenes such as these have been emblematical of Britain’s bigness of heart and trustfulness of 11 at 11T6 In the same manner, the freedom of speech countenanced by Britain has allowed not only harmless windbags to gratify their vanity, but it has permitted the exposition by others of dangerous doctrines, the utterance of which would have brought gaol or execution to them in the countries from which they had sprung. . ~ . . Britain’s unbounding charity is the foundation ot her greatness, but it is also the core of much of her trouble in time of peril. The existence of a “Fifth Column” in Britain has been amply proved, and there will be genuine thankfulness that the Government has set to work with vigour to prevent that column from operating as it undoubtedly would operate if a more favourable opportunity presented" itself. The arrest of Mosley and other Black Shirts, whose activities could only exert a subversive influence at the present time, is welcome. So, too, is the news that the alien women and children in Britain are to be interned on the Isle of Man. This, incidentally, constitutes one more proof of Britain’s care for her alien population; for it is to be reasonably assumed that the women and children will enjoy on the island a degree of safety that would not exist if they were herded in cities liable to be bombed. . , , ~ . ~ It is good to know that Britain is awake to the need tor drastic steps to curb the enemy within the gates. It is to be hoped that the Government of New Zealand will take early steps to ensure that enemy aliens are prevented from endangering the country which has given them residence.