THE NEW LETTRE DE CACHET
SIR,—We are all proud that our laws are not silent in war-time. but there is still truth in the maxim taken from the XII Tables of Rome: " Sakes populi, suprema lex." It is hard to see how the normal pm. cesses of the courts can protect us against Quislings, Fifth-colummT and pacifists who have been trained by their backers to harm thin country as much as possible whilst carefully refraining from infringing the law of the land. On the day when Germany invaded Denmark the head of the Copenhagen Tramways, who for twenty years had been regarded as a Dane, appeared in Nazi uniform (strange haw Hitler and Ribbentrop in uniform always remind one of tramway- men !) and directed operations to facilitate the German entry. Pre: sumably no court would have convicted him before that day ; butt would have been better for Denmark if, regardless of the law, he had been restrained from his evil work. In a life-and-death struggk can afford no risks, and we must support our rulers in locking up those against whom there is even the least suspicion of being. cnol agents. Even if many innocent suffer, the safety of the State mar" tively demands such measures. We well know that the trades mos will get back, when war is won, the valuable rights_ they have waived to help the national effort. And we, too, may rely on getting bad Habeas Corpus, Magna Carta—and all that.—Your obedient servant,
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