§ Mr. HUME-WILLIAMSasked the Home Secretary whether he proposes to introduce legislation giving power to deal with naturalised Germans whose actions, although falling short of such overt acts as now bring them within the law, may render their detention, in his opinion, or in that of the military or naval authorities, desirable in the public interest?
§ Mr. McKENNANo, Sir. The provisions of the Defence of the Realm Acts and the Regulations made under them are directed against all persons—whether aliens, naturalised, or British-born—who may be guilty of espionage or whose action renders them open to suspicion. It would be undesirable to restrict the precautions to be taken to the comparatively small number of persons who have become British by naturalisation.