The Denver Jewish news., 1925-09-10
The Alien Question
in England
j. Nj KENwoRTHs, r. y. NJ. P

hflilHu LABOR furtN nuh lH one ut the most
prominent members NJ the British House
OF Commons.
Gicnt Commander Kenworthy will write
exclusively for group of newspapers
served by the Jewish Tclegruphic Agency
on topics Of special Interest to the Jewish
public - Editor1
For many generations up 10 the out
break If the Great War, the tradition.
al policy Of Great Britain had been to
provide a refuge and sanctuary for
the oppressed and prosecuted of all ma.
tl0ns, Irrespective of race. creed or
politics. | am writing as nn English.
man who was as proud OF this custom
and practice In his country as Of any
other. Nor did England lose by this
policy. She was locked upon as the
home OF freedom by the peoples OF the
world and was remembered with
gratitude and affection by those who
had enjoyed her hospitality and found
safety and happiness within her
shores, And, generally speaking. her
hospitality was not abused The In.
dustrles, arts and culture of England
have been enriched by the refugees who
have been welcomed to her shores.
Thus the Fleming Protestants, persecut-
ed by the Spanish Inquisition, fled the
Low Countries and brought their In.
dustries of weaving and pottery making
TO England. The Hugenots. prosecuted
by the French Catholics. brought lace
making, woodwork and other arts to
britain. Later the French Royalists
and arlstOcracy who fled France in the
time Of the French Revolution brought
culture and art to their sanctuary.
From time to time attacks have been
made on this traditional policy by
designing or prejudiced politicians who
try to stir mp the mob and the baser
elements against the stranger within
our gates. II is true that during the
Liberal Administration before the Great
War one Of the sticks used then by GER
tain elements in the Conservative Par.
Henry Campbell -Bannerman and Mr..
Asluith, as he was then, was their
preservation of this ancient Empire
tradition of allowing distressed people,
no matter how poor and unhappy, to
enter our gates. The better elements
in the Conservative Party were con-
temptuous of such methods.
Unfortunately the War. with its
panics and fears destroyed much of
This spirit of tolerance for the time
being in England. Every person of
German or Austrian nationality or
descent was looked upon with suspicion.
Spy-mania was prevalent and the vio-
lence of the mob occasionally broke all
bounds. Thus in the East End of Lon
don an unfortunate Scotchman bearing
the ancient Highland name of Strachan
and British through and through. was
accused Of being a German by ignor-
ang men, who could have found plenty
of real Germans ut that time on the
Ypres Front, who set upon him and
beat him very severely. Shops belong
ing to actual German butchers and
tailors were sacked, and their occu-
pants placed in danger.
Parliament answered TO this mood,
and number of measures were passed
with little opposition, for the restric-
iion of the aliens living in England.
OF these, perhaps the Act of 1914 was
necessary on military grounds There
was further Act in 1918 and the
final Act in 1919. This last one laid
down very strict regulations with re
gard to the naturalization of former
enemy subjects. All naturalization
certificates We're to be refused until ten
years after the War. Exceptions We're
made in the case of those who had
served in the Allied Forces or who had
been British subjects at birth and
wished to revert to their own nation
ality or if they were members of a race
or community known to be opposed to
the cnemy's Government This last pro
vision is interesting, as it made n spe-
GILL tNtepIlDn III lHt 'uSt VI lIullbls
and others who broke their oath of al
legiance to their own legal Govern
ments, and is fair example of the
mood of the times.
Much Of this wartime spirit has sur
vived the peace. But whereas during
the War popular wrath was directed
against Germans and Austrians. Bull
garians and Turks, it has been diverted
to those who come from the portions
of the former Russian Empire. Poles
and Russians are still picked out for
differential treatment The reason for
this is not difficult to discover. The
popular hatred against Germany and
KaiseriSm has been changed into n
hatred Of Russia and Bolshevism, and
the two are synonymous in the minds
of the ignorant and ill-informed. We
may trace the change in the traditional
English attitude 10 those wishing to