The Spectator at war: The peril from aliens

From The Spectator, 14 November 1914:

Men guilty of helping the enemy are simply spies within our lines, or traitors to their adopted country. There cannot be any dispute about that. If the penalty visited on them is one of laughable leniency, the spy or traitor, so far from being deterred, has an actual incentive to continue his business. He sees himself in an heroic light—and he will get rich rewards when peace is restored and the time comes to acknowledge his “dangerous” services. Imprisonment, even for a considerable period, is certainly not a practical way of dealing with guilty aliens. They know that with the war will end all imprisonments for war offences. The only deterrent which is effective against patriotism, liberal bribes, and the love of adventure is the dread of a firing party. The patriotic German alien, on fire to do something for his country, has always been told that the English are too “soft” to shoot, and that his own Government will guarantee that he shall not suffer imprisonment beyond the war, whatever happens.