To Englishmen . with their glorious traditions, won gradually by
the pertinacity and good sense of the people, the idea of interninganyonewithout trial is. in the abstract odious. On the other hand, it is conceivable - that a Government might be rendered impotent against a blood- thirsty conspiracy if it were invariably forced by the law to bring arrested persons to trial one by one or, at all events, in small numbers. This.might be the equiva- lent of broadcasting a warning to political criminals .all over the land and thus enabling them to escape.. Nowa-. days conspiracies against the. State have ramifications all over the world. It is difficult enough to deal with them in any case, and we must not make it impossible. L. will be remembered that in 1921, when. the " Triple Alliance" of-trade unions threatened to hold up the life of .the whole -nation, an Emergency Aet was passed. It gave the Government power to proclaim a- -" state of emergency," and while this state lasted to protect the community by whatever means might be reasonably necessary. By some such measure as this it might be possible to reconcile the two apparently contradictory interests of the safety of the State and the rights of the individual. A Unionist Government will be on safe ground so long as it is seen to be providing for the.security of the nation, but on very unsafe -ground if it gives: anybody a valid excuse to say that it is indifferent te personal rights.
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