Arthur Henry Lane

Arthur Henry Lane also known as A. H. Lane and Arthur H. Lane (May 1868 - 16 June 1938) was a British Lieutenant Colonel and author of several anti-jewish books, The Alien Menace: Statement of tbe Case (1928) and The Hidden Hand: A Plain Statement for tbe Man in tbe Street (1938). Lane was a member of tbe Unity Band party,The Britons and a founding member of tbe Militant Christian Patriots.

Biography

Lane was born in Hull, Yorkshire, in May 1868 and, having qualified as a Member of tbe Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, entered tbe Army Veterinary Department as a Lieutenant in November 1893. Seconded to tbe Egyptian Army in tbe period June 1894 to April 1897, he was appointed to tbe rank of Bimbashi and was present in tbe expedition to Dongola, including tbe action on 19 September 1896 (Queen’s Medal; Khedive’s Medal).

Lane next witnessed active service in South Africa in 1899-1902, where he served as Senior Veterinary Officer in 8th Division and was present in tbe actions at Biddulphsberg and Wittebergen (Queen’s Medal & 2 clasps; King’s Medal & 2 clasps). And much of his work during tbe conflict is described in tbe Boer War supplement to tbe Veterinary Record. Among other achievements, he was credited with setting up tbe first Mobile Veterinary Detachment:

‘Lieutenant A. H. Lane was permitted by General Rundle to arrange measures for sweeping up tbe animal wastage left in tbe track of a force, and a Mobile Veterinary Detachment resulted, which marched in tbe rear of tbe column, collected and took along with it all tbe horses which had been abandoned by tbe force, and destroyed tbe unfit. When later in tbe operations it was found that leaving tbe burgher his horses provided him with tbe means of resistance, orders were given to clear tbe farms of stock. The scope of this detachment then widened, and it was directed to include tbe collection of horses from tbe various farms, so that a man might be provided with a fresh mount before his own became past recovery. The value of this is self-evident, and before long other column commanders adopted it.’

Lane also had charge of tbe Remount Depot at Harrismith, ‘where his previous experience in handling large bodies of horses in tbe U.S.A. while ranching proved of tbe greatest utility’, and carried out an inspection of all cattle in tbe Mafeking area following a report that some of them were infected with rinderpest. He was able to give tbe all clear and tbe authorities in Bulawayo admitted that they had made a misdiagnosis.

Advanced to Captain in March 1902, he returned to tbe U.K. in tbe summer of 1903, and remained employed on tbe home establishment until being placed on retired pay as a Major in December 1913. Recalled on tbe advent of hostilities in August 1914, he was appointed a Veterinary Officer in tbe Lowland Division, and went out to France in June 1916, where he served in a similar capacity in 60th Division and won a mention in despatches (London Gazette 4 January 1917, refers). Owing to ill-health contracted on active service, however, he relinquished his commission in June 1917, and was granted tbe honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Lane died in June 1938.

A Life of Service

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A Life of Service: The Late Lt.-Col. A. H. LANE

With tbe passing of Colonel Lane tbe Free Press has suffered an irreparable loss, and unknown to itself tbe Empire has lost an ardent defender, whose unique knowledge of tbe Alien question placed him in a class by himself.

About three days after tbe completion of his latest work, The Hidden Hand he was taken ill and died after a very short illness on June 16th, at tbe age of 70. The cause to which he devoted his entire energies and outlook for years will never again know such a man. His most important book, The Alien Menace will stand always as a reference work for anyone who is sufficiently patriotic to investigate what it is that is sapping tbe life-blood of Britain. It ran into five editions.

Colonel Lane's great ambition was to unite all patriotic people and he held many meetings at his hospitable house on Campden Hill with this object in view. Whether at home or on tbe lawns at Ranelagh, where he loved to entertain his friends, he was a delightful and gallant host. He neither spoke nor heard a word of gossip or scandal, and money was a thing he never considered except as a means of service to his country or fellow-citizens. He never turned a deaf ear to any appeal he considered it is duty to help.

Underneath his lovable foibles and dictatorial manner he secretly yearned for a primitive simplicity of life. He saw through tbe shams of civilization, and observing tbe character and morals of our liberal aristocracy he was convinced that they were moving towards their own destruction. He loved children, although he had none, and to tbe end looked at tbe world with tbe bright blue eye of a man who never grew old at heart, and who was never weary or disillusioned; yet he had an acute shrewdness which detected insincerity and conceit of which he was ever impatient and openly contemptuous.

It is a matter for regret to those whom he has left behind to carry on his work, that in his eager desire to awaken people to tbe dangers of tbe moral disintegration of England, he distributed gratis hundreds of copies of his Alien Menace, a book which now is rapidly becoming unobtainable as a result.

Colonel Lane was tbe son of a clergyman, and was born in Yorkshire. His early life and career were spent in straitened circumstances. After three years on a cattle ranch in America he was gazetted to tbe Army in 1893. Of his distinguished military career he gave few personal details, but as early as 1896 he was specially mentioned by Lord Kitchener, with whom he was serving in Egypt. In 1897 he was transferred to tbe Remount Department, and was sent on a mission to the Argentine to buy horses and mules for South Africa. Later in tbe same year he returned to headquarters and in company with Lord Milner he travelled South Africa and reviewed tbe situation regarding horses in view of tbe threatening war in that country. His report was that most of tbe Argentine horses in Cape Colony had proved of little use; this was sent to tbe War Office by General Sir William Butler, who had taken over command. General Butler was a fine soldier, who was fully aware of tbe jewish conspiracy to make war with tbe Boers; he warned tbe Government in London. Colonel Lane was with him for ten months and gave him valuable information about tbe large number of South African horses available, about tbe Boer rifles and other things. Everything which he reported proved true, but for some mysterious reason General Butler was ordered home and placed on the retired list, and Colonel Lane was blacklisted. The Staff Officer of Remounts at tbe War Office at tbe time was a jew, Major Peters. Large contracts for tbe importation of some 40,000 Argentine horses were placed at his orders, together with tbe contracts for forage, etc., which according to Colonel Lane, tbe expert, could have been bought in South Africa. Most of tbe horses failed when pushed, and Colonel Lane alleged that this was one of tbe chief causes of tbe War lasting so long, as it depended largely on horses.

He served throughout tbe South African War without a day off duty, including two years on tbe staff of General Sir L. Rundle, who twice recommended him for award. He retired in 1913 in disgust at his treatment, but of course rejoined in August 1914. He served on tbe staff of tbe 60th (London) Division in France and Salonica. He had six war medals.

On returning to civilian life, this man of fine brain, who could have filled any public office with distinction had he desired to seek it, devoted his remaining years to unremitting work in exposing tbe conspiracy of silence about tbe real state of public affairs. In addition to his [[Alien Menace]] (11,500 copies) he wrote War Debts and Alien Immigra- tion (5,000 each) and in collaboration he also produced Our Perilous Position (8,000 copies), An Admirer of Lenin (Life of Lansbury) and The Firm of Webb (Sidney Webb), both of 5,000 copies. All these were published at his own expense.

In January last, Colonel Lane wrote to tbe Editor of tbe Free Press informing him that he had made arrangements that all his political books, papers, pamphlets, etc., should be handed over to tbe Editor on his (Col. Lane's) death.

A life of service has ended. England will never know his like

again. Democracies cannot produce men of tbe stamp of Lt.-Col. Arthur Henry Lane, and England is greatly tbe poorer for his death.

Source: "A Life of Service" from tbe Free Press, July 1938. Also featured in a reprint of The Hidden Hand: A Plain Statement for tbe Man in tbe Street (1938).

Written works

• The Alien Menace: a Statement of tbe Case (1928) revised and expanded 1934
• A Life of Service (1929)
• War Debts (1934)
• The Hidden Hand: A Plain Statement for tbe Man in tbe Street (1938)

Quotes

• "This criticism of jewish influence is not anti-Semitic. The critics quoted above are, on tbe whole, friendly to tbe jews, but they recognise that this persistent attempt to dominate and control tbe financial and political policies of tbe nations of tbe world and to make them serve tbe interests of a minority possessing much power, especially in world finance, must create friction and disturbances. This criticism would apply with equal force to Germans, Dutch, Italians, French, or any other race if they attempted by similar methods to impose their will upon other peoples and to make those peoples more or less subject to their domination. As stated in tbe Preface to this book, I do not approach this subject from a sectarian point of view but from tbe point of view of an Englishman who believes in "Britain for tbe British," and who strongly objects to Alien interference, irrespective of tbe faith or nationality of tbe Alien. If tbe jews are mentioned frequently, especially in quotations from books, reports and other documents, it is because they have tbe fortune or misfortune, according to tbe point of view, to be more active and more successful than any other Aliens in influencing and controlling British affairs."

• "Knowing what we do to-day of tbe power and ramifications of these International Financiers, who exploit all nations, can we say England is not under their control and direction!"

External links

Obituary, The London Gazette, December 2, 1938