§ 89. Mr. GILBERTasked the Home Secretary the present number of registered German and Austrian enemies residing in the Metropolitan Police area who are not interned; the number of males and females; and if all the males are over military age?
Mr. SAMUELThe total number of persons of German and Austrian nationality at present residing in the Metropolitan Police area, excluding British-born wives, is as follows:—
Of the males, 2,018 Germans and 3,012 Austrians are of military age. As I have frequently pointed out, the alien enemies 732 still at liberty are all persons whose cases have been considered by the Advisory Committees and recommended for exemption from internment or repatriation for special reasons. They are mainly composed of persons of friendly race or sympathies, e.g., Czechs, Poles, Slavs, natives of Alsace-Lorraine, who are only technically of Gorman or Austrian nationality, or else the special ground for their exemption is that they are over seventy years of age, or of thirty or forty years' residence here, or some similar reason.
- Germans: males, 4,931; females, 4,418.
- Austrians: males, 3,796; females, 2,654.
§ Sir R. COOPERIs it not the case that in the Metropolitan area there were over 5,000 trained enemy aliens of military age?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a matter of argument.
§ 90. Sir R. COOPERasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that Baron von Bissing has recently been enjoying a state of liberty in London; and what special privileges of leave are granted to him seeing that he is interned?
Mr. SAMUELI am not aware that Baron von Bissing has recently been enjoying a state of liberty in London, and it is not the fact. He has not been at liberty at any time since he was interned on 20th September, 1915.
§ 91. Mr. G. FABERasked why all enemy aliens now at large in this country are not either interned or deported?