GERMANS IN AUSTRALIA

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 870, 9 March 1917, Page 8

GERMANS IN AUSTRALIA

;_ v Traitors and the Referendum. ~|J~T is more than probable, that a. good ■ " deal of the blame- for Australia's disgrace,- the No majority at the Con- ■ scription Referendum last November, can be fairly laid on the. naturalised . Huns of the Commonwealth. The German press gloated over the* result of the Referendum. One joiu'nal states that since 1828 about 65,000 Germans, have emigrated to Australia, and "it would not- be far from the mark to say that. the German population at the present time is 180,000/' of whom 50,000 were born in Germany." After indulging in the cheap and jaltry lie- that at the outbreak of tlie war the Germans in Australia, were "ill-treated"-— whereas they were- "treated with " ridiculous leniency, even when they openly glorified in alleged German victories — the Hun 'journal proceeds to say'"one may safely - assume that they have contributed very materially to hinder the acceptance of the law for compulsory service introduced by the Imperial Minister Hughes." " s * & ■» Of course they did. and this pretty little game' of "hindrance" they will play again anS. again, so long as the Australian Government refrains from doing its duty, which is to disfranchise them, not only for the continuance of the war, but for a period of at least ten years after the war has come to an end— It is well known that naturalised foreigners, especially Germans, and Germans who call themselves Swedes, Norwegians, or Danes, are verv .numerous in the ranks of the Red" Fed. and I.W.W. organisations in this country. When the New Zealand Parliament meets it ought to give the -Commonwealth a lead by disfranchising this

class of sedition mongers, who, in New Zealand, may rest assured, "contributed materially to hinder tlie. acceptance of the law for compulsory service."