New-York tribune., 1917-12-31
Fear of American
Reprisal May Save
Aliens in Germany
Several Reichstag Deputies
Warn Against Conscrip-
ton of Foreigners
By Gustav Miller

If Germany is willing to treat the
enemy citizens within her frontiers in
accordance with civilized usage and
international law il is from fear OF
retaliation. as may be seen from the
reports of a meeting Of the RelchS-
tags Main Committee held on October
: Belgians and citizens of other coun-
tries at war with Germany were al
ready i'm the early months of the pres
ent armed conflict forced into the hal-
ser's army. While small minority
of the Imperial Parliament criticised
such a practice. the Reichstag never
took a stand against t until America,
the home of hundreds of thousands Of
German citizens, had sided with the
Allies.
Several Reichstag Deputies. cspe-
cially the Centrist Hauss, openly stat
ed on October that they would vote
for a resolution 10 treat enemy aliens
fairly because the United States might
treat the German citizens in America
Just as American citizens arc treated
in the Fathcrland.
The Main Committee discussed
again the conscrlptIon Of foreigners
after the same matter had been
thrashed out in the Rcichstag without
any practical result az all. Contrary
% its promises, the government had
continued the same old practice of
conscripting foreigners, neutrals as
we'll ~ enemies. whom the Chancel-
lor's representatives pleased TO call
men without country
The Deputies Gothcin lProgressive), ,
Heine and Landsberg Kaiser Social
Democrats, Hauss lCcntrisD, DR..
Seyda lPolcl. Dr.. Rcisser National
Liberan. Kunert Social Democrat of
the Licbknecht typc). and DR.. Pheger
lCcntrisp. the Generals Marquardt and
Scheuch. representing the War Depart
met, and Kriegc, chief of bureau OF
the Department Of the Interior, took
part in the discussion Of the Main Com
mittee.
The keynote speech was made by
Deputy Landsbcrg, who generally is rs
devoted supporter Of the kaisers
policy as any Conservative junker. lie
described the tricks by which enemy
aliens were "made" men without a
country.
I'VE arc" said Landsbcrg, certainly
not in an cnviablc situation, because
we must expect measures OF retaliation
Lv foreign countries. In some cases the
authorities acted. perhaps. according 10
the letter of the law. But a tricky sys-
tenn Of making enemy aliens men with
out a country has been hatched and is
being applied. The passports have
been taken away from all foreigners
and then the men are asked by the mil
itarv authorities TO prove their citizen
ship This they are unable 10 do be
cause they are not allowed 10 retain
q
able 10 obtain duplicates or new pass
ports. Just as arbitrary is the proceed
urc against those aliens who are un-
able 20 obtain new passports on ac-
count Of the abnormal conditions Gre
ated by the war after their old ones
had become void because of limitation
of time. II certainly would be easy for
the military authorities TO verify the
facts
"Also, il is the practice of the gov
ernment To wrest from foreigners who
have been natLialized in an enemy
country the admission that they will
return 70 their native land after the
war and stay there. These men don't
become people without a country by
such declaration. Nevertheless, they
are treated as such and c0nscripted.
General Marquardt attempted 20 de-
fend the government, cOntending that
foreigners. whether enemies or neu-
trails. ere not conscripted, and arc ad-
mitted 20 the army only in case they
volunteer: men without a country, he
continued, who permanently stayed in
Germany, are subjected TO conscrip-
tior
Finally the Main Committee passed
a law 70 the effect that former citi-
zcns Of enemy countries who were
not naturalizcd in Germany, may not
be conscriptcd to the army or navy,
but may be conscriptcd to industrial
service.
This resolution is without any effect
so long as IL is not approved by the
Reichstag and. the Bundesrath. con-
sisting Of representatives Of the gov.
crnments of the various Federal
states. And these governments voiced
their disaoproyal Of the bill at the
meeting OF the Main Committee
through Generals Marquardt and
Schcuchc and Mr. Krcge.