STRICTEST SECRECY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1971, 30 January 1914, Page 7

STRICTEST SECRECY.

LAW'S IRON HAND. ■ li IN SOUTH AFRICA. ' BANISHING THE STRIKE LEADERS. TELEGRAPH WIRES NOT WED. lly AseiolAtlon-OoßTriEhl Pretoria, January 28. When the application tor restraint was renewed in tho Supremo Court, the departure of tlio deported nicii Was announced. The- Court allowed tho deported moil's counsel to apply for an attachment order against the officials efinccrnod for cnntcnjpt of Court. Mr. Justice Weswls regretted that ho had not had sufficient information on Tuesday last, or ho would have granted an order restraining the Government from deporting the men. If tho Government choso to use fore© to dammit an illegal act, no Court could stop it. Tho Government was acting invalidly if it locked up tho men and refvised them thoir rights as citizens to appeal, but tho Government's uso of forco was n matter for which it was responsible to the citizens.

A prorioua cablegram statdd that the doporta.tion took place via Natal, because martial law continues there. Parliament sriH grant on indemnity next, week for the deportation and other acts dose nndcr martial law. Measures will also M taken to prevent the return of those deported. Mr, Justice Wesscls, sitting at •KiiiaimesliHTg, declined to gr;int im order restraining tho Government from deporting the .men, on . the ground that ho had insufficient evidence beforo him. Counsel will apply to the full Supremo Court to-day. T.he Government is acting under the 22nd clause of tlio linmigfation Regulation Act, 19-13.

A SEVERE LESSON, AS TO WHAT ANARCHY MEANT. Johannesburg, January 28. .General Smuts, Union Defence Minister, when reviewing the Civilian Defence Forte of two thousand special constables, said that the outbreak of July last had be>en a severe lesson as ta what anarchy meant, and citizens woro determined that, there would. beno repetition of tirtit lawlessness. As a result, there had been perfect order without the shedding of a drop of blood.

THE STRIKERS WANT TO LEAVE. POSITION NORMAL. > Johannesburg, January 28. JJenoni is the, only place where martial law has becii relaxed. The strikers applying in large numbers for permits to leave the conntry. There ate many Australians among the strikers. The position elsewhere is normal.

LABOUR COMMENT, IN THE OLD COUNTRY. London, January 28. The Labour Parliamentary Party's conference at Glasgow co'.Mlcmncd tlie South African fiovcrmUenl's suppression of trado unionism by armed fore© as a violation of elementary rights of citizenship, ami demanded Lord Gladstone's immediate recall. .

Mr, Keir Bardie. speaking at Glasgow, stated that the Art of Indemnity' required tho Iving's signature. Lord Gladstone. the Gomiisr-Gcncral, refused to sign it until it had bcteii sent Home for consideration.

THE MATTER OF FUNDS. A DEPUTATION FAILS TO GAIN A HEARING.. London, Jan-aftry 28. Sir. Brownlio, chairman -of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, has announced that as all officials in South Africa have been arrested and their books and funds confiscated, I)-is society is unable to cable funds to South Africa for fear of confiscation.

i[r. Hnrco'urt (Secretary of State for tlw Colonies) refused to receivo a deputation, saying the matter wp.3 one Solely for the Union Government, but promised to obtain particulars from' Lord Gladstone.

STRICT SECRECY. 'TWO HOURS TO WRITE LETTERS. "Times"—-Sydney "Sun" Special Cables. (Rec. January 29, 5.'40 p.m.) London, January 23., The "Daily Mail" Says that instructions' regarding the were sent to Durban from Pretoria by motor-car, the Government not trusting; the telegraph and telephone services.. Tho steamer was stopped while loading cargo. Everywhere the polieo had fixed bayonets. • Detectives accompanied the deported men by train. Tho deported men carried their finialf belongings in parcels and in their pockets. They looked crestfallen, wistful- and unnerved when going aboard the steamer. The one defiant note was scarlet ties and mufflers. The men were, given two hours to write letters to tlioir families. The troops remained on the ship until she was omtside tho harbour. Telegrams relating to tlie t'e* portatiAn were refused transmission at Johannesburg by the censor,. and the newspapers were forbidden to make rtny editorial references to the affair, while the Colonial Office was not informed beforehand, though tho news was known in London before it leaked out in Sctith Africa.

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR PROTESTS. TWO RESOLUTIONS. (Rcc, January- SO, 0.5 a.m.) Sydney, January 29. Tho Labour Conference adopted a resolution, moved by Sir. "Dick" Meagher, protesting against the action of tho .South African Government in deporting tho Labour leaders. Tho Austral-'an Workers' Union carried a simitar motion.

MR. RAMSAY MACDGNALD. "A LITTLE BIT TOO THICK." (Roc. January 80, 0.5 a.m.) London, Jntiuary 20. At tlie fliasgow Labour Congress, Mr. Ilanisay MncDonald, iM.R, th'flilroil that n cynical conclusion to the South African War, tho spending of a hundred millions of money and thousands of lives, was that trades anion leaders should bo deported for calling out moii suffering From industrial grievances.. it was licit easy for members of the Ilritisli House of Commons to intervene, for it must bo remembered that South Africa was a self-governing colony. Any interference from Downing Street would immediately be resented, even by the victims of tho tyranny, but the British Labour members could rais.fi the miestion of tho ftovernor-General. Lord Gladstone, consenting to martial law. Tha matter; was beginning to get "a little bit too thick." He had alnavs thought that under the Hritnh flat; there, were certain inrinlahle rights nnd~libert{M, including tha ri'aht ta , ttrika alid ths right to picSct. Thor

were now told that all that was nonsense, humbug, am! moonshine. A selfgoverning colony could make or mar the Kmpire's fair name. "If tliero is ito Imperial authority invested with powers to stop this sort of thing," said Mr. Maeclonald, "it is about time ivo had it. If we are going to allow tho self-governing dominions to do this, I say candidly I would far rather that they were under ft foreign Power." Sir Marry Poland (for many years one of tho counsel lo tho Treasury and Homo Office), interviewed, said: "At first sight it- makes the blood boil to think that ton rcspectivblo ritemhers of the Labour party have boon banished an aucli." Ho was thoroforo inclined to think tliero was truth in the statements about a conspiracy to upset tho Government and cst-amislii a 'Labour republic.

GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION

ENGLISH PRESS OPINIONS. (Hec. January 30, 0.30 a.m.)

London, January 30. ] "Tho Tiroos" says the gravity of ] tho situation lies in the fact that tiro Government, the Legislature, aiid tho electorate of South Africa apparently , approve an administrative step which is certain to provoke tho strongest resentment amongst largo am! powerful classes of tho electorate at Home, and . possibly tho electorates oi tho other Dominions. Tha deportation is tho most startling event that has yet occurred to reveal our want of a common policy m dealing with Imperial problems frluch affect moro than oho sclf-govorning community. ;

deportation justifiable. ON GROUND 'OF PUBLIC SAFETY. (liec. January 30, 0.5 a.m.) London, January 29. Router's' Capo Town correspondent says that tho opening of Parliament on Jantiary 30 is awaited with extraordinary interest. Tho crisis has brought tho English and Dutch into remarkable sympathy as was strikingly illustrated by tho public meetings and fraternisations during tho mobilisations. Tho Government's first duty is to obtain indemnity. It is doubtful whether tho Government will proceed with the Bills legalising and controlling trades unions and dealing with industrial disputes. Tho strike was rpall.v n protest against these Bills, and the Government is likely t« postpone industrial legislation until tho public passions have subsided. .. ,

The Capo "Argus" says: "The Government has incurred a grave responsibility. It would bo nothing short of a national calamity if tbtt recent hiippeiij»gs woro to encourage an evil spirit of bureaucracy." The "Cape Tinies" considers the deportations ivijustifiabi'c legally, but justifiable ou tiio grounds of common sense and public safely, It recalls the action of the New Zealand authorities in giving notice to agitators to quit their districts.

how the News leaked out. CIVILIAN HEARD THE SINGING OF "THE RED FLAG." (Roc. January 30, 0.5 a.m.) Johannesburg, January 29. The prisoners Were surprised to find themselves at Durban, where they..Arrived at midnight,' strongly. guarded. The Natal Rifles and water police guarded the passage from the train to the steamer Umgerti, on which the. Government h«d chartered all tho passenger accommodation. The prisoners were hurriedly taken., Unresisting, to their cabins, each of ' which was strongly guarded by the Water police.

The socrct was so well kept that no 'one in Durban wa.s.aware of the proceed'ings. ftveh tiio railway officials were ignorant, the train being an a spccial cftnvcyaitce for a theatrical ■company. ' ' The I'lngcui crossed t.ke bar. and anchored in the roadstead, and the deported- irieii wove thcii informed of the Government's. plan.

At Johannesburg neither the detectives n-or the railway -, officials were warned to hold themselves iii readiness. When tho chief detective -ultimately pave orders, he told the men selected simply to bring their overcoats and handcuffs.

The views leaked out at, Johannesburg through a civilian chancing tshsar the inmates of a prison ran singing "'flic Red Flag" while being' -taken to tlvfi train. He informed the newsnnpers. and the "Band I)ail.v Mail" published the news. The central police office then warned the newspapers not to refer to the matter.

The deported men were moved on Monday wifflifc and conveyed by the prison va-ii some miles into the country where thc.v were nlneed oi) a train containing troops. They had noidea whither they were poina, hut bolicv<-«l that it was towards Pretoria. All the windows arid shatters, on the train Were kept closed.

NO JUSISDJOTION. WHAT THE COURT HELD. (Re:. January 30, 0.5 a.m.) Pretoria., January 29. When Mr. Lucas, counsel for tho deported leaders, applied for the order re-st-raining tho Government from deporting the men,' Mr. Justice Wesscls declared that he could not-.assume upon mere rumours that the Government was going -to kidnap citizens and deport them, except by Act of Parliament. Mr. Justice Mason remarked that he must not he taken as eoitcitrrinc: in the view that- the material before the Court, was insufficient . He calliid the Attor-ney-General. whs. declared lie. was unaware of the 'facts. Mr. Trnter, Chief Commissioner of Police.' in replying to Mr. ■ Justice Mnson, stilted that he had hands-d the prisoners to an escort wider the Government's instructions. Mr. Lucas's npoliciitioi? for mi attachment order was' hosed on the thftt two of thfc d<?* ported men, Poutsnm and Watwiion, should have appeared before the Court On Wednesday morning. The application that General Smuts. Minister nf Defence, should b.6 ordered to produce the deported men was withdrawn, on the ground that the Court was without jurisdiction bejtohd the. Transvaal. .- ....