A German to be deported

 

At Hatfield Petty Sessions on Monday, Adolf Kemp (70), jobbing tailor, of German nationality, was charged with being an alien enemy and leaving his registered place of abode without notifying the registration officer of the district, contrary to the Aliens’ Restriction Order, 1914, and further, with travelling more than five miles from his registered place of residence without a permit.

The prisoner pleaded guilty. Supt Sullivan said the prisoner was registered at that Court on December 28 last as an alien enemy.  He had been making his home in a shed on the common at Hatfield.  About two months ago the owner of the shed for some reason turned the prisoner out, and he was then homeless.

Instead of giving notice to the Police of his intended change of abode, or the fact that he had been ejected, he wandered about the country.  An order came to him (the Supt) from the Home Office with instructions that it should be read to the prisoner and explained to the effect that they did not see fit to exempt the prisoner from deportation.

The Sergeant of Police for the district in which the prisoner was wandering for several days tried to find him, but was unable to do so until October 19, when he discovered him on the road between Hatfield and St Albans, and arrested him on the present charge.

The prisoner was now practically destitute, and entirely homeless, and if set at liberty would have nowhere to go to.  As an enemy alien prisoner must have some fixed residence, but as he had got none, the police could not possibly keep in touch with him, so that the prisoner could not comply with the Order for that particular reason.

The Deputy Chief Constable had directed him (Supt Sullivan) to ask the Magistrates under the circumstances to say that the prisoner should be sent back to Germany.  It would take some time to make the necessary arrangements for the prisoner’s deportation, and if the Magistrates would commit the prisoner to gaol for a month probably that would meet the case.

The necessary sanction must be obtained from the Home Office before the prisoner could be deported.  The prisoner was 72, and, of course, beyond military age.

The Chairman said the prisoner would be sent to prison for a month and be recommended to the Home Office for deportation to Germany.  They did not want to keep alien enemies like the prisoner, who was unable to earn his own living in this country.

The prisoner:  ‘I cannot go to lodgings?  I can earn my living.’  The Chairman:  ‘No’.