3 AUGUST 1918, Page 2

On Tuesday week Mr. Justice Sankey began his investigation into

the position of enemy aliens. He is assisted by five other members of the Aliens Advisory Committee. His task is to inquire into the circumstances of twenty-four thousand persons, and he hopes to settle the cases of six thousand Germans by the middle of September. " The cardinal principle upon which we act," he said, " is to give this country the benefit of the doubt." This is of course an inversion of the ordinary principle of a British Court of Law, which presumes the innocence of a prisoner till he is proved guilty. But, as Mr. Justice Sankey pointed out, during a war we are entitled to say to an enemy alien : " It is upon you to satisfy us that you can safely be left at large."