OCR Text |
Show Ii uu ENEMY ALIENS TO BE CARED FOR WASHINGTON. April M. With the j approval and co-operation of the Am- , erican government, the legations of Switzerland and Sweden, representing respectively German and Austro-Hungarian interest-' have undertaken to direct relief work anions indigent enemy aliens throughout the United States. Relief will be extended to npedy families of interned aliens direct di-rect from the legation funds, while to aid law-abiding enemy aliens ho have suffered on account of their status a national committee of Americans Amer-icans is to be organized to cope with the legations and their consular offices. Secretary' Lansing announced the arrangement yesterday in this statement state-ment : "In the interests of safety and welfare wel-fare of this country, it has been found necessary from time to time to plame restrictions which have worked hardships hard-ships on enemy aliens who in all re- j speets have shown themselves friend- i ! ly to the U. S. but who, owing to the : accident of birth and war conditions, have been unable to change their stat-: stat-: us as such and have of necessity become be-come objects of charity Likewise the families of those enemy aliens whom j the government deems it advisable to j intern are often deprived of their means of livelihood and they also become be-come dependent on the charily of others. Aiding Dependents. "In order to men thlfl condition the legation of Switzerland and the lega-tion lega-tion "i Sweden, in charge respectlvi ly, of German and Austro-Hungarian in teresta in the United Stated have with 1 1) i approval and co-operation of thlfl oernment undertaken to systematize and supervise all the relief that may bl -iven to needy enemy aliens, wher ever and however situated throughout the country In the case of the Interned In-terned enemy aliens and their families the locations have agreed to supply all the relief from their own funds, limiting such relief to what is found after careful investigation to be the essential minimum. "The case of the law abldinp enemy laliens has presented a more complex problem. This it is propose.l to meet by the formation of a national committee com-mittee composed'of American citizens j which, in co-operation with the lepa-J tions of Switzerland and Sweden and: ih- ronsuls under their jurisdiction, will investigate all cases of distress) among this class and will control the . collection and distribution of all funds i that may bo subscribed for the purpose pur-pose of their r lief. It will, of cour-r hie local committees working under ' it wherever the need of such commit tees la felt aud will render accounts of its activities La the proper authorities. authori-ties. i r 1 ...ri J..t thnt llin intallifnnl and controlled relief of enemy aliens , In distress in accordance with the proposed pro-posed methods is a humanitarian aaure in accord with the spirit in 'which we have undertaken to carry I out this war." No Obligation There is no obligation in existing tr. aties for such treatment of enemy aliens as i: proposed. In Germany and Austria many such UOVC been detained de-tained and most of them are largely 1 d P' ndent for support upon the food supplies ent in through the Red Cross m other organizations. In the case of enemy aliens who are now interned, the United Slates is lia ble for the cost of their maintenance as in the case of an law breaker or suspect. The Swiss and Swedish lega-j Hons may supply they with some! small articles or food not provided by the internment camps administration. 1 The activities of the legations will not extend in any way to the com-; paratively few prisoners of war in this, country. The Hague treaties proide! that the cost of their maintenance! shall be assessed against the enemy countries upon the conclusion of peace, oo |