ALIEN ENEMIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9044, 15 May 1915, Page 11

ALIEN ENEMIES

To the Editor “N.Z. Times. Sir,—When considerin'; the subject of -reprisals, -which, I understand, is that measure of severity against alien residents as likely to induce hotter conduct by the enemy in Europe, t would like the apologists for inaction or partial inaction, to consider whether there is any reason to believe that there is a single -British subject allowed to follow ■ ids former business, or for that.matter to exist at largo, under any conditions •within the German Empire “ Not one. All informat.on leads to the conclusion that every Briton, if not maltreated, is interned in Gexmany. Yet, what is our attitude to the aliens in our midst? The .Ministry are evidently half-hearted in several individual instances. Germans arc more especially the proper subjects for. reprisals with the object mention ed of bringing pressure to bear on those responsible . for the fiendish conduct of the German authorities. And,remember, that naturalisation heremakes no difference. The German Empire continues to hold its .subjects, to their natural allegiance, and in meat instances willingly so. The Premier socks to magnify the difficulty by referring to the considerable number of Andrians, in -addition to the Germans in the Dominion. This is deliberately' attempting to blink the ouestion. , Most of , the Austrians ir. the north arc Dalmatians and Croats, whoso sympathies are with the Allies, and -who arc will nig to assist, if need be, in the overthrow of German militarism. What wo have to consider, is: are the Germans as distinguished; from the other races arrayed against: us, to be considered, and paiticu-: lurly those Germans in the centres of) population whore military ond other such movements are likely' to be known and discussed—not the gum-diggers in the remote 'North, who,. even ,if not with u« in heart and hand, are not likely to bo a source of danger.—-I am, etc., A.C.L. May 13th.