FRENCHMEN IN BRITAIN
SIR,—May I ask the hospitality of your columns to express the deepest regret that the National Defence Regulations now coming into force make no distinction between the French, twice-proved allies in our generation, and non-belligerents, neutrals or very recent allies?
They seem to order these matters better in France. Quite recently in a French broadcast relating to restrictions on aliens in military areas, it was stated that, even within these areas, the British were to have the same status as the French.
But for the purposes of our regulations, French men and women, most of them with relatives fighting in the allied forces, are simply classed as " aliens " and, without a word of apology or regret (broadcast or otherwise), subjected to the same restric- tions as any other non-enemy foreigners.
Everyone realises, of course, that amongst those holding French passports there may be some suspicious characters, and that therefore the bona fides of French nationals needs to be care- fully examined—the French would be the first to recognise this themselves—but surely they should have been placed in a special category assured that their cases would be quickly examined and that where there was no cause for suspicion, the fullest exemption would be giiien.—Yours, &c.,
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