We feel bound to express our regret at the sentenoe
of deportation recently passed by the Common Serjcant, and confirmed on Monday by the Court of Criminal Appeal, upon the Italian Anarchist Malatesta. Malatesta had expressed strong disapproval of the Turco-Italian War, and waa there- upon accused by another Anarchist, Bellelli, of being a Turkish spy. As a rejoinder Malatesta. issued a circular to the Italian colony in London stating, in terms which we cannot consider outrageously provocative, that Bellelli was himself an Italian spy. Malatesta was subsequently convicted of criminal libel and sentenced to three months' im- prisonment and deportation. The reasons given by Mr. Justice Darling in his judgment on Monday in support of the sentence seem to us entirely unconvincing. He admitted that there was no proof that Malatesta, who has resided in England for twelve years, had even done any- thing to put into practice by violent means the opinions he held. The deportation, be added, was recommended on the ground that in such a state of society as that of the Italian Anarchists in London Malatesta's libel would be likely to lead to an assassination being committed. Deportation is a form of punishment which should, we hold, be rigorously limited to criminals who are of notoriously and dangerously bad character. To apply it to a case of libel is a grave mistake, and we sincerely hope that the Home Secretary will refuse his sanction to the deportation order.
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