Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1900.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 9 February 1909, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1900.

UNDESIRABLE ALIENS IN BRITAIN. LESSONS OF THE TOTTENHAM ' OUTRAGE. THE Tottenham outrage by Russian Revolutionary scum has forcibly attracted attention to the westward march of the undesirable alien from the stews of Continental European cities. The movement of population in Europe at present is great and di__tinctive enough to arrest notice and demand a check, or at least registration, by the countries concerned, both those losing and those gaining thereby. One stream starting eastward, mostly from Russia, is steadily settling in Siberia. Another and far larger stream sets westward, and carries more than 1,000,000 emigrants a year to the two Americas. Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Russia head the list, and among them make up nearly three-fourths of the total number of trans-Atlantic homeseekers. But a percentage of those who leave their native places in Eastern. Southern, and Central Europe do .not cross tho ocean. They merely cross the English Channel and make their way to London, desiring to share in the liberty and prosperity of the fortunate English who have rec-fcTVed so many thousands of aliens in the past without asking questions, and wlio nave recently been so rudely awakened to the dangers that they run. When the last census was taken there were 141,000 foreigners in London, or 29.84 to the thousand of population. While many hundreds of these persons are above suspicion — worthy citirsens in every way — there are others who arc the reverse. The latter keep the police (constantly busy, and occasionally at least introduce from countries of despotism methods whicli are foreign to a free soil. The question being earnestly discussed at present is r How is this dancer to be dealt with? That is ths problem. How is London to preserve its reputation as a city of refuge for the political idealist, while at the same time protecting itself against the imported brigand and homicide? The clamorous demand which has been made, for some effective restrictions sterns to show that the exclusion of the unfit is at least being recognised as a sound maxim by Londoners, who for so many decades contented themselves with the diametrically opposite maxim. "Let 'em all come." That the Undesirable Aliens Act is virtually Ineffective is unconsciously admitted by the Home Secretary himself. In answer to the. complaint of tho President of the Society for thc Protection of Foreigners that after admitting undesirables the Government sought the aid of the society to pay for their deportation, Mr Herbert Gladstone publishes returns showing that in all about 91 o aliens have been deported from England in three years. That number is almost inappreciable in relation to the circumstance that about 3 pev cent, of the population of London are for-J.tgn-ji's, and it is beyond question tliat Soho nnd Le'cester Square remain he-id-ccntres of thi- seething: discontent and crime of Continental Europe. • * . • . The British Aliens Act of 1905 is a curious measure, striving to combine severity and ordinary self-preservation with the usual fatuous British benevolence. Foreign lunatics, paupers, ai.d persons convicted of an extradition crime within the meaning of the Extradition Act were carefully prohibited by the new legislation, but. it was expressly provided in the measure that no immigrant should be excluded who sought admission to the United Kingdom in order to avoid prosecution or punishment for "an offence of a political character," even if he had no visible means of support and was likely to become a charge on the rates. The law-abiding alien pauper is thus expressly prohibited, but the paup»r wiio is 'wanted" in his own countrj' for an offence of a, political character is welcomed with open arms. Among thc "political offenders" with no iawfui visible means of support probably came Haf eld and Jacob, the Russian desperadoes who, within a short journey from the heart of London, robbed a motor car ot a oa;» of gold m the regular Russian revolutionary style, and then shot two of their pursuers before they were brought to bay anl sought their awn -ieatn. -•• • • • The Tottenham outrage may have one good result, inasmuch as the cianiour raised in consequence against the indiscriminate admission of undesirable aliens will lead probably to an amendment of the Ac* and to a more useful reform .still, an increased stringency of supervision over all foreign immigrants iuto Britain. it should not be difficult for the police and tlio Criminal Investigation Department to clarify and discriminate between mere political refugees an.i the dregs and scum of anarchy and crime. Political idealists may safely ba let alone so long as they confine themselves to the propacation of ideas. But tho bomb-making, re-volver-carrying rolitician must be r?go -- ;- -ruisly discouraged, and haDpily the. e.\i.sUng Act gi-»« the Government po.vr-i _o expel ii.iv alien, au*.vu-ty V.ing listed in tho Home Secrets, iy to decide whether the individual deserves expul■'.in. 'he orher nations o" Europewill breathe more freely if definite measures were adopted in England to .lip the wings of the Anarchist, the poiiiicnl assassins, and the homicidal ilien cranks who have hitherto found a . aven of refuge in London so long as rhey abstained, from acts of violence n Britiah soil. Ihe authors of the rottenhim outnure have broken lb.it unwritten treaty and havo m.vJ.r. it rlear that existing legislation is not rulhcient to deal with the problem they ind their kin-J offer to England for rolution.