INDIAN MOB FIRED UPON.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1917, 27 November 1913, Page 7

INDIAN MOB FIRED UPON.

$ _ POLICE ATTACKED WITH KNIVE3 AND STONES. STRIKE RINGLEADER SHOT DEAD, RENEWED EXCITEMENT IN INDIA. By Telesrapn—Press AS6ociation-Oo»yri2ht (Rec. November 26, 0.55 p.m.) Durban, November 2G. Indians broke out of the Hawksworth Estate, at Esperanzia, on tho _ South Coast. There was a collision with tho police. Three Indians were killed and twenty wounded. The police proceeded to the Hawksworth district to collect, the Indians' cane-knives. The latter refused to surrender them, and attacked the police with knives, sticks, and stones. Two of the iiativo police and one European were wounded. Tho polico remained passive for an hour under the fusillade of missiles, and then fired over the heads of the rioters. This valley produced no effect. A second volley was directed at the strikers' | i'cet. A third volley, this timo in earnest, resulted in two being killed, including the ringleader, two fatally wounded, and ten slightly wounded. Cape Town, November 25. The Chief Magistrate at Maritssburg, in sentencing fifty municipal strikers, warned tho Indians that thoy must protest against tho head-tax constitutionally, otherwise they would nlienato all tho whites. Loading members of tho Opposition m Johannesburg, while opposing unrestricted Asiatic immigration, urge tho abolition of the tax. Tho strike is extending to Zululand, anAls affecting the sugar mills.

AN EDITOR ARRESTED. Durban, November 26. Albert West, acting-editor of the Indian vernacular journal, has been ar* rested for harbouring indentured'immigrants on a farm at Phoenix. The Natal Indian Association _alleges that a number of Indians, threatened with beating unless they resumed work, fled to Phoenix for protectionThe Natal Labour Federation has passed a resolution calling upon the Government to repatriate and adequately compensate the- Indians', whose presence is inimical to the. white workers. A sugar-cane field was fired on an es« tate in the Ispingo district, but the nativos extinguished the outbreak.

INDIA'S DEMAND FOR INQUIRY. Dfilnl, November 25. Tho "Civil and Military Gazette?' states that the dispatches of Lord Gladstone (Governor-General of. South Africa) dispose of the charges of illtreatment of Indians, but, in view of tho agitation ill India, it must support tho demand for an impartial inquiry, (Rcc. November 26, 11.10 p.m.) Bombay, November 26. A statement from South Africa that Indians were sjamboked at the Ballengeich mine alter stoning the manager has caused renewed excitement. General Botha's speech is strongly resented, and surprise is exprcspd at the Imperial Government's inaction, th.ero being frequent queries: "Why cannot the Emperor protect his Indian subjects?" "Times"—Sydney "Sun" Special Cables. Bombay, November 25.

A meeting of ten thousand Indians at Lucknow passed a resolution of protest against the treatment of Indians in South Africa. ■Tim sum of £1300 was subssu-ibed to the Passive Resistance Fund.

THE IMPERIAL STANDPOINT. . GENERAL BOTHA'S STATEMENT. (Rec. November 26, 11.10 p.m.) London, November 26. Router states that official circles re* Card General Botha's statement of tho Indian troublo as a sound and fair exposition of tho oaso. The situation is full of difficulties, but does not call foi Imperial interference iu the affairs of a-selr-governing Dominion. There is a real need for moderation, as both sides, from their own points of view, are in tho right. Mr. A. Fischer (Union Minister of tho Interior) saw the Marquis of Crewfi (Secretary of State for India) and Mr. Lowis Harcourt (Secretary of Stato for tho Colonies) recently, and stated publicly that a modus vivendi was possiblo if the Indians were more'moderate. On the other hand, tho Indians declare that General Smuts (Union Minister for Finance) premised an amendment of the law. This was not carried out, and the. Government gave as its excuse the Rand strike. Mr. Fischer made it clear to the Imperial authorities that the A T iceroy's suggested inquiry into tho Indian troublo would ho regarded as an unwelcome interference in South Africa's internal af« fairs.