The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-27
Editorial Comments
From Other Angles
A WISE TRANSFER
Asheyille Citizen

President Roosevelt's action in transferring
the immigration and naturalization service from
the Department If Labor to the Department Of
Justice will be generally applauded by the Ameri
can people. It will tend to quiet the anxieties
of those who feel that the Labor Department
has been entirely too appathetic and gentle in
it's handling of the menacing problems raised
by the presence of undesirable aliens in this
country.
These are perilous times. Only the cumulative
tragedies Of the next few weeks can reveal just
how dangerous they are for the world and above
all for this country. Colonel Lindbergh may pro
TESS to believe that we have nothing to fear
from a triumphant Germany but he has few
supporters for his extraordinary viewpoint. Most
Of us prefer to regard the colonel as a fine flier
who is making the ridiculous mistake Of mas
querading as an international statesman.
Germany has a great army and a huge air
force. But these explain only partially the pro.
digious successes which the Nazis have won on
so many fronts and with such crushing thor
oughness. Germany has a greater intelligence
service which has made possible the easy vic
tories Of the, armed forces. Poland, Norway and
Holland fell speedy victims to German aggres
sions because they were honeycombed with spies
and traitors. There is strong reason for believ
ing that the failure Of the French to halt the
German advance at the Meuse River was due
to treachery. Within the past few days Brit.
ain has informed thousands of aliens and yester-
day her government ordered the arrest Of sew
eral Britons suspected of reasonable activities
1t has been apparent from the outset of the war
that Germany was securing valuable informa'
ton promptly and directly from many sources
in Britain.
Our government would be foolish in the ex-
IRENE if it failed to assume that Germany has
hundred of spies and saboteurs in this country.
Even the Kaiser filled this country with his
agents long before We entered the First World
War and they wrought considerable mischief.
The Germany Of Wilhelm was the merest ANA.
teur in the arts of espionage. Hitler has de-
veloped spying and sabotage to the highest de.
gree to which they have been carried by any
power.
No thoughtful American wishes, Of course, to
make any law-abiding alien or citizen the vic.
tim of any witch burning. Important as it is to
preserve the civil liberties of individuals, it is
more important to safeguard the security Of the
republic against the Vaccinations of those who
enjoy its hospitality and plot its destruction. 1t
is altogether possible to thwart the efforts Of
spies and sabtoteurs without abridging in the
slightest the constitutional rights of any law
abiding alien or citizen,
The Department of Justice was previously
charged with the responsibility of f%erreting out
persons engaged in espionage activities for for.
eign powers. With its control of the immigration
and naturalization service, it can do the whole
job more effectively. Furthermore, it will bring
to the full task more determination and intelli.
gence than can be expected from the Depart
ment Of Labor as now directed,