Clergyman's Mission For Native Tribe

Chronicle (Levin), 13 January 1949, Page 9

Clergyman's Mission For Native Tribe

Rpceived Wedncsday,-7 -p.m; LONDON, Jan. 12. • The Rev. Michael . Scbtt, , British clergyman, who has. been. emppwered by the Ilerero tribe in. former German So.utliwest Africa, to plead. their case with the British Government. ancl United Nations, said in Lqndon that he was quite undeterred by the threat of the South African Goverximont t.o take action against him. / fThis threat leaves nie- unmbvedJ" he said. *' £t is only fresh 'proof that the South AfriCan Gove'rnment is coinpletely intolerant of anybody ;who does not hold. its raeial and politiCal views — - which are little different from those oi the Nazis." .The Rev. Scott, who has been •arrested four times in South. Africa for entering the prohibited. native areaSj had, his passport withdrawn when he was on tiie *eye bf leaving South Africa to put the case of the Hereros to United Nationsi in Paris last Nqvember. Undeterred by this, he went to Southern Rhodesia, chart'ered a plane to the Belgian Congo, borrowed a car and drove to Northe'rn Rhodesia and from there flew to Paris. The Hereros, who were brutally treated by the Gcrmans for trying -to assist Britain in the Pirst VVorid War, claim that under the South Africhix mandate which subsequently gave the •Union of South Africa authority over .Southwest Africa, they were driven from their tribal . lands which w6fo. giveA to Boer families. The Union; Govefnmerit is Uow endcavouring to mcorporate Southwest Africa in its torritories and the Hereros, ' who claim triat this TYould depnve thcm of any cliance of regainiug their lost lands, are resisting these attempts. . The Rev. Scott, who gave up a curaey in a fashiouable London Wcst Eud parish to go to South Africa, rcsigned a salafied" appointment in the diocese of Johannesburg so as to be free "to work amohg the natives. He is now in London . where he has; asked to see the Sccretary of State fpr Commonwealth relations to ,put the natiyes ' arguments against the .incorporatibn. of Southwest Africa in the Union.