A SPECTATOR'S NOTEBOOK
SOMEONE, I see, has been raising the question of what the position of Sudeten German refugees in this country would be in time of war. It is quite necessary to raise it. I imagine there could be no thought of putting them in concentration camps as enemy aliens, for they were never that, or anything like it. They were citizens of a friendly country for which most Englishmen had a considerable admiration, and if they are now men without nationality, that seems a good reason for facilitating the naturalisation of any who desire it. But much more than that might be Mr. Hore-Belisha has turned down the idea of constituting a Foreign Legion, and quite possibly there may be objections to a Legion on the French model, though it is not clear what they are. But the institution of a voluntary training corps for the younger German, Austrian and Sudeten German refugees would be a thoroughly sound step, particularly if it were stipulated that anyone enrolling would be ready for defence service in the colonies if needed. They would make admirable recruits for such bodies as the Palestine Police or the King's African Rifles, and many of them, I believe, would welcome the opportunity. As recently as Wednesday the Colonial Secretary admitted that more police were needed in the Cameroons.
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