ALIENS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12243, 15 February 1918, Page 4

ALIENS.

DEPUTATION TO SIR J’ASffiS ALLEN. 1 fi&Sftj. (lepuklion o? tLe Southland v-econd Division Lieagne waited upon Sir James Allen at' Invercargill on Tuesday. Amongst other matters laid before the Minister was that of the position of aliens. Mr F. Burnett said that they wanted the aliens of the nations allied with them to be subject to the same military rule as their own young men. Because they were not, a very unsatisfactory state of affairs was developing, especially in regard to their ‘ fruit-growing and fishing industries. ’ , The fruit-growing in Marlborough was fast passing into the hands of Italians. A New Zealander was called up, living a position vacant. Along came a'suitable alien, even although he might be of an Allied country, and- secured the place. So it went 011. Then, as to enemy aliens, they could not get exact knowledge, but he did not think that it could be disputed _ that unnaturalised Germans were still employed in the Public Service. They knew of the case of a young man who, volunteering at' tho start, had left the railway and gone to Samoa. .When he returned from there he found his place occupied by an unnaturalised German. The young man had gone on o'at to Gallipoli and given his life there. So far as was known, that unnaturalised German still held his position. Then they knew of a German—naturalised this time—who was drawing the old age pension, uotwithtsanding the fact that a British subject who had been horn in Ceylon was refused a pension. Then Germans were being allowed exemption by the Military Service Boards. Thus they were allowed to go back to their farms and their businesses, to live in security and build up profits from the country, uhich the best British blood was being drained to protect. Further, German firms were profiteering. A firm of brickmakers had raised the price of its output from 50s per hundred in August to 71s per hundred in September—a month later—a firm founded man years ago, but owned by a German and his German sons. Profiteering in any form was highly objectionable. but profiteering by a German firm the league was out and out against. As icgarded the purchase of land, the Prime Minister had said that enemy aliens could not lawfully acquire land in New Zealand during the continuance of the war. No, they could not get the titles of the land, but they could enter into a contract and hold the land and enjoy it, waiting to get their title after the war, The league wanted all enemy aliens, who were unfit for work, interned. The fit, it wished to see under military control, employed on public works at a less wage than the New Zealand) fighting man.

In replying, the Minister said that they had to abide by the law of nations. Further, if they had taken any drastic action earlier there would have been the danger of a rupture with America, for Americans were aliens. It was true that Britain was now in arrangement with Allied Governments to provide for the enlistment of Allied aliens in the British forces- At present New Zealand might take into her forces aliens whose consuls agreed. That had been done. As to euemy aliens, they had very definite instructions from the Imperial Government to the effect that they were not to arrest enemy aliens unless they had reason to believe that they were dangerous. The reason at the back of these instructions was that wholesale arrest would almost inevitably lead to retaliatory measures both upon themselves and upon their Allies. At present there were- about fifty aliens interned on Somes Island and between seventy and eighty at Motuihi. It did not seem right that those strong, healthy fellows should just be knocldng about the internment camps doing only a little gardening, but under international law they could not compel prisoners to work. There was being at present undertaken a classification of the Jugo-Slavs of the Auckland province who would be employed on road contracts, or, it might bo, farms. The matter of enemy aliens securing farms the Minister promised to lay again before Mr.Massey.