Three thousand Germans and Austrians, all males aged 16 to 60 and many of them refugees from Nazi persecution, were in internment camps today following a lightning swoop by the authorities precipitated by fear of a parachutist invasion coupled with “Trojan horse” activities.
Yesterday’s aliens raids, which were confined to the eastern half of England and Scotland, were described as purely precautionary and not based on evidence against any particular persons.
Simultaneously, every male alien aged 16 to 60, neutral and friendly alike, who lives in the raided areas, was told he must report daily to the police, must not use any motor vehicle other than a public conveyance and must not be out of doors between the hours of eight p.m. and six a.m.
The roundup was effected on orders of the Home Office and was designed to check possible “fifth column” activities. Even Germans and Austrians who had satisfied the Aliens Tribunals that they were anti-Nazi were included among the internees, the only exemptions being invalids and the infirm. Included were doctors, dentists, musicians, lawyers, tradesmen and others.
An official statement said the measures had been applied to areas where for military reasons special precautions were required for the time being. Their rigor it added, would be mitigated as soon as the circumstances permitted.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
