ENEMY ALIENS IN BRITAIN.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 14173, 15 July 1918, Page 7

ENEMY ALIENS IN BRITAIN.

DE,MAND FOR INTERNTWENT. ; --. ",.t, ■• ■ ■;.■ BIGOHpUS MEASURES rBOifISBD. M LLOYD GEOKiE'S- INTBBEST- ' . ING-CONFESSION. : ifty Cabin—Press Asaoc'rttloh —Copyriaht)* (Australian andN.Z. Oablo Association). LONDON, Juiy 12, •In the House of Commons, during the debate/on (lie internment of- enemy aliens, Sir George Cave asked the House lo give the subject strict and cool attention* He admitted there was much public anxiety on this question, but this was largely duo to inadequate knowledge. Steps had already'been taken to .protect the. country against the alien danger. The- Minister' disagreed''' with indiscriminate internment of aliens, but the central committee would be asked to carefully'review-and drassically revise the existing exemptions, and oivo reasons for their decisions. Therefore every enemy, alien would be interned except where there was strong reason for exemption. Ho, also proposed to review the naturalisation certificates granted since t\w war,-com-menced.' No person, not a natural-born Britisher will be allowed to change his name except under license. This prohibition operates retrospectively. He antioußecrt that no person (hiring, the war should be employed in a Government office unless he or she was the .child- of •natural Britishers, ext'ept for definite national reasons. Many undesirable aliens had already been deported. Tim .Government intemled to r'nl the cmiiitry of undesirables, Regarding euomy banks, "tlii* Government proposed t.o apply to the Court immediately for'a winding-lip order, and would also introduce, legislation prohibiting '■• enemy, banks in Britain' i!m* a period of year's after the war. He pointed outitliat e.v,-:' cept in the early weeks of the war spies had not ibeen found among enemy, subjects in Britain, but other naturalised nliena other than enomies .were already registered and. their movements od,.but''it'.: was proposed to .make 4h'e system of. identity books .general. , 'Discussing the recommendations ot the committee.appointed by tJie House of Commons, Sir George Gave said,that many 'exemptions were given early in the war at a.time of great pressure, therefore it was unreasonable to suggest that the list might be carefully revised. Where-exemptions were granted, after re-investigation, the records would be available to the public. Regarding 'the review of the naturalisation certificates, a Bill would be introduced 1 which would v enable them to deal with the question, bat all certificates would be reviewed, iivcindingthose.'grnn.ted''during the war., The Minister concluded by stating that since the beginning of the war no .patents had been granted to the enemy, pverTive hundred businesses'have been' jvound .up,,and,many businesses transferred to British ownership,

Mr Hugh Williams urged |hat. if a tribunal'of ten decided that''an alien Should not be exempted,, the; Government'office should not be allowed'to revise its decision,, .•'■-' T '.-,.- -.■■'•" Mr Lloyd, George said, the, debate S.liawed v ,t)iat .ihe,jloiis^ '-, genera.lly f.a.cwhich would'be carried but vigorously, righteously, and without unfairness. The Prime Minister promiscd-thnt the tribunal would : be.strong and impartial, and no personal considerations would be allowed .to interfere with;public interest, . A . : ■; '''There never has been-a'.British setback, after which I do not got numerous letters from Germans in Britain crowing ovo-i' the- set-back," said Mr Lloyd George. "This sort'of thing must bo slopped, The reasons .for the exemption of aliens employed in Government departments would not. bo published. They were rendering conspicitous service to the country, and had'; :l)cnn 'extremely helpful." Concluding, Mr Lloyd George said: "In the "case/of war the country must be given the benefit Of the "doubt, and even a. point, of individual hardship must not .enter into consideration of the mm Inhumanity and injustice wouw degrade our Hag, but, wo must not com\ mit the folly of over-trustfulness to the extent of endangering the, conn try we loved so well."

BILL APPROVED BY SELF-GOVERN* ING dominions: "DRASTIC PROVISIONS. * (lii Miter's Telegrams) , ■• . , " LONDON, July 11', In the House of Commons, Sir George j Cave, in moving the second reading of the British Nationality and Status 'of Aliens Bill, said twit all the self-govern-' ing Dominions and, -India/' excepting Australia, approved the draft, bill Ansfrali.a indicated no, dissent. ;/ J'lie main purpose of the Bill was to give wider powers to revoke naturalisation'ccrtiji- : pates. The Bill did not 'deal with manv difficult questions in' connection with the Law of Nationality, but ho hoped that the policy of making.-nationality laws would not be. abandoned. The Government proposed to refer- the question to an Advisory Committee, of experts. The Bill empowered the Home (Secretary to revoke the naturalisation "ort ifieat.es where fraudulently obtained, also io revoke, certificates issued to disloyal persons, criminals;, notoriously had characters, and persons^ho lived : abroad for seven- years. . . The Bill was read a second time. .