In the Commons on Thursday afternoon Mr. Asquith made his
promised statement as to the treatment of alien enemies in this country. The Government propose that of the forty thousand non-naturalized aliens at present at large, all adult males should for their own safety and that of the community be interned, or, if over military age, repatriated. This will not require fresh legislation. Women and children in suitable cases will be repatriated, but in many instances justice and humanity require that they should be allowed to remain. Advisory bodies of a judicial character will be set up to which applications for exemption from the general rule of internment can be made. The Home Secretary will be responsible for ascertaining who are the persons to whom the new policy should apply, and as soon as the military and naval authorities provide the necessary accommodation all who are not exempted by the Advisory Boards will be interned In the case of the eight thousand naturalized aliens who are in law British subjects, the prima'-facie presumption should be the other way—that they were loyal to their adopted country ; but exceptional cases established to the satis- faction of the Boards will be specially dealt with. There must, added Mr. Asquith, be power to intern in cases of proved necessity or danger.
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