The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1914. 'VIOLENCE BREEDS VIOLENCE.'

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1962, 20 January 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1914. 'VIOLENCE BREEDS VIOLENCE.'

OjfC.or two of the English' 1 news-' papers which have commented upon the labour disorders, in f- South Africa, betray an astonishing-inabil-ity to-grasp the facts : of the: position. The London 'Daily:"Chronicle, for instance, finds nothing better to say about the vigorous action taken by tho Union Government .to repress lawlessness in connection with the strike than that "'.violence breeds violence," and that "General Botha's Government must -. reap >;. a bitter harvest unless they exhibit as much energy in securing redress for the grievances as in arresting the leaders." This is a view of the position which no doubt ■■'■will commend itself to strike ■' bosses in South Africa and elsewhere, but rca-. sonable people everywhere will .'recognise that the authors of violence in the present instance are those .who went as far as they were allowed to go in the direction of terrorism and intimidation. The Chronicle, and critics who take a similar.,tone,' cannot be ignorant of the' fact' thaistrikes like that which has''arisen in South Africa are based upon violence, and that the alternative to the use of legal force in maintaining law and order is to allow the revolution-' aries to have their way, and.reduce civilised society to a state . of anarchy. The Chronicle ";'says that "violence breeds violence,", but it apparently desires that the/violence of the South African .'strikers should be exempt from the common fate, and that men who consider dynamite bombs legitimate instruments of industrial warfare should be met with honeyed.:.words and kindly toleration.-. Such,:, blatantabsurdities arc exposed as soon as stated, but it is a matter for regret that they should find expression in a" responsible newspaper. : ■■■piy l f.'%j-\ A much more sensible ■estimate of, the situation is made hy tho"Westminster Gazette, a 'Liberal news-' paper, but one which does not allow hysterical sympathy :; for the -South! African demagogues to destroy^' itsperception of facts and its sense' of justice. The 'points;, out that a general strike is wholly, different from a strike in a particular industry, and contends that-if (an' attempt is made to hold the community to ransom, the community is entitled to protect itself. ; i;This"»is.a moderate and reasonable of tho position, which will noi doubt commend itself to the great-bulk of. the white population,;,,in>MSouth: Africa. The experience".'-"''through which that country, is now passing is in some respects similar to that through which New Zealand passed a little while ago, and the complaint that the -, Union '■"■ Government""i.has' adopted violent methods is a repetition of the charge that was hurled at the. Government of ■ this country by strikers and •!their\friendß',&S\thoughthe measures taken-in;.New.;Zealand: were much , less , dra'stiesihaiiJithosel adopted in South ,Af rical'^The ? .'a.n'-j swer is the lawless activities^ the community surcs of thc'Kprbui.: that these' measurosfeira. necessary; and justifiable,: lies-.in the fact :that! they arc backed approval of an ity of the I abiding citizens, l to maintain tho?law|«in£times!pof, ! emergency additional securUyiffondlMtiisKoaly,; [ the miiuirJiy. element intentou.bwiakv

inir the] la'w that has anything:' 'fMy. v-W: j ciiher'-to" VraliTkneed /uid, linuirijus'yj.o ritijes..,ii,ikti, the jltrmiirlt, : ?,r .. 'itoi; sucir'a. pi ; o!ost .is" h'as .bfteii malle 'iv : thirNatioiial; Cbum-il; of the.. liutiv-. 1) (; k tic ii t- L !i.l jo n r ;J 1 .-i ri y; in. (i i r ! at ; Ii r i tain .-.which, acco rd i ng'- to'ii crtbk(Colon ios ou f r i c asVi; Kaljbu r'; 'Xjbyernment ! sSidesj)^tism^ i vji ii cc¥Wi ,t lMtliO' .ftvc r sibr/G<Dne faF s (noitD' ; ; .sup]n - essini?;thcif'onstitutidii by. proclainnng jnarf ial ;law. - ' Tlie 'Coun-. tlie hope thai,: the "workers ivould-'re:,: sist the Eussianisiug of British.'-Un , stitutions." ,'; /rhis last ia...'a pniiseworkers' ■toiwhbm-the'appeal|is ; addressed will proiiably.' find 'no betterway. of assisting towards>.-its! realisation than: "' to; : ci'icck= : . and'TepressSthoi irresponsible fanatics?w'ho;:kindled the .blaze that ■is now dying" down in South Africa,, If these men-had their way they; (would, establish a tyranny recalling inir,rule, ; Bnt ..the- resort to . martial law?in?So«tßtAfrica does' not imply : anythingtb!«the|-kihd.'.;s"On tho contrary, the"\vhole'of the available evidence Uuggestslthat this drastic step (was ■'.takeuftwith; : na:iotherv object, than to protcct'fi'om invasion by a lawless minoritor .the liberty. that';is the birth;ri^htf oKveyery/.citizenijS.-i The. outcrjr raised ,by the general striko advocates and their, friends against ;the emergency .-measures taken by the Union Government.is in itself a confession, that their, aims .'are.bad,'' and their!,methods--indefensible! Ii" their aims: were peaceful and , their methods . legaf,. they would have , no more cause'.than,, any'other.'body': of citizens -to-protest' against measures which are-designed only, to .repress disorder and ■ ■;sirescrvo • the" public