New-York tribune., 1909-03-21
QUESTION As TO THEIR
TRE4TMENT.
Unzcritten LG7c Is to Shoe No Hos
tility to Subjects of Belfgerent
Nation.
roopyr.rhs. 1909. by til. Brentwood compar

attitude Of the British government on the sub
feet Of the treatment of aliens in time of
The foreigners whom the Secretary of State for
War In the last Liberal Unionist administration
had in view in addressing his question to the
principal law officer Of the Crown. were those
men of the regular army of a hostile belligerent
power found on British territory after an act
OF declaration Of war; and. although he did not
actually say SO, there doubt that the
aliens whom he had in mind were the tens of
thousands Of Germans making their resi-
dence in the United Kingdom. and who nearly
1I carried on the roster Of the reserve Of the
Kaisers army
It IS needless TO relate here that there has
been during the last six months very serious
scare throughout the British Isles the sub
sect OF their invasion by Germany. This alarm
has been industriousIy fomented by high
IN Office with the object Of removing popular
opposition TO the increased expenditure de-
rnanded for the navy, and likewise 70 induce
men 10 Soin the new territorial branches Of the
arny Certain newspapers aided and abetted
the public agitation; and the climax was
rea ched when Captain Du Maurier's play was
MT on the stage the other day. demonstrating
the fate Of An Englishmans Home" family
and possessions at the hands of foreign IN
yader While the authorities have attained
their ends since the ranks OF the territorial
<o-ces have been filed. and the opposition TO
the building Of new nnen-of-war has waned. the
fear Of q Teuton descent upon the British coasts
,7,bsIsts IN all its intensity, and finds its ex-
preston in the most extravagant forms
The spy mania IS raging and almost every
foreigner travelling either for business or pleas
ure IS looked upon with profound suspicion as
engaged in the investigation OF the defences,
the weaknesses and the resources Of the tight
little island" for the benefit Of the government
=r--a
N the people Of the locality IN which they may
hsppen 10 be staying are likely TO be denounced
ss spies while hardly day passes without let
;ers being addressed TO the newspapers calling
upon Parliament 70 take heed Of the fact that
there are at the present moment. living ana
earning their livelihood IN the United Kingdom
-,ore than 100000 German men between the
sFss OF twenty and forty who, forming part OF
IN. reserve Of the German army. as orncers'
non-comnissioned officers and privates woulu
be called upon by the Kaiser 10 JOIN Iie c0iO'9
On the outbreak Of a war
Indeed, some Of the communications 10 lne
,--.ss 90 so far as 10 insist that these German
rsstdents IN England are 50 cleverly organized
that already in possession OF the necessary n
str,ct,ons. they would within few hours OF any
-unture between the two countries form theih-
seIves into q foreign army corps WIN IooliO'0
on British soil Just how all these Tnerchai's'
clerks artisans. teachers, artists WATERS anu
Isborers are TO engage TO do effective work as an
army CORDS without the necessary arms min
t,-v equipment and supplies. does not seem 10
concern tbe scribes. whose letters. in spite OF :
.hsz +rfeing drawback. all contribute to Keep
sf,ve the popular apprehension, and incidentally
4be hostility against everything Teuton-
SHOULD HAVE TINE TO ESCAPE.
THAT 60 able and brilliant statesman as the
,.+. 15,,sh Arnold-Forster. who before becoming
cscra+arv of state for War represented the Al
,,gr.,+x- as Parliamentary secretary IN lhe
House OF Commons. should have considered u
r,ecessarv 20 question the government as 10 liie
stains of all these 1000 or more unarmed SOL
Sters OF the reserve OF the Germany army WHO
,,iph+ he resident IN Great Britain al the mo-
-,en+ Of an outbreak Of with Germany, In
6.ca+es that the matter Is one which at any
,s+a reouires thoughtful consideration and dis
o,,ss,on And in view Of the large population OF
.ue, birth in the United States 1t is not WIN
ort nossessing some interest for Americans
eir William Robson. the Attorney General III
his repfv 10 Mr.. Forster, announced tnat III 'ie
event Of war England would follow the hu-
name and chivalrous practice or mooerh lI1lieS
and would give to the subjects OF hoStie Dei
I,,e-en+ mower who might be found engaged IN
cI1f1tan n1,rsrlits IN Great Britain reasonapIe
time within which TO leave for their own couh-
r. eyer, ir fIeS were under obligations to enter
service under the enemy's flag ana 10 return aS
foes" Sir William Robson made II perIecSE
clear that this was 8 matter OF modern usage
ena courtesy rather than Of law and right He
r,oin+ed cut that at the outbreak OF the Franco
German War Of 1870 France not only gave
,-,rla time for all German subjects found on
So territory 20 leave for home, but even made
.nacisl arrangements for their protection ana
organized exceptional railroad facilities Tor tner
teneA+ although It was perfectly well known
that fhev were going back to the Fatherland 20
nEht under the enemy's flag
on the other hand. he showed that there were
.tiII iu existence ancient unrepealed statutes
(which though not invoked, have, I believe,
their place I'm the legislation Of most foreign
cor,ntrjesD authorizing a government to detain
and intern foreign soldiers found on its territory
on the outbreak OF with the nation TO
which they belonged. The English law states
that this might be done in the event Of mill
tary considerations rendering it necessary; and
occasions might arise when the temptation to
make Of this law would be very great, such
as. for instance II the chief Of the staff and
some Q: the best generals Of the German army
and the ahlest commanders Of her navy hap
pened 70 be British soil when war was de-
clsred.
Laws going back TO the days OF King John
end or the Magma Charta provided that no alien
shpuid be allowed to leave for country at war
WIN England until il had been ascertained how
that nation was about TO treat English subjects.
And always subject 10 this understanding, a
statute barring the sign manual of Edward III
gave foreign merchants forty days after the
outbreak Of hostiliues in which 10 depart. With
regarc to merchants and non-combatant citi-