CABLE NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1922, Page 3

CABLE NEWS.

AFBICa.V affairs.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CAULE ASSOCIATION

UNION’S DECISION TO RESUME

CAPETOWN, March 17. On the Rand the engine drivers and mine workers’s union' have called off their strike, thus obviating the necessipractically ends the strike, as the Mine Workers’ Union is the principal union affected. The mines are being now rushed by applicants for employment. Tile mine owners state they are getting more applications than they can grant employment for. In paying a tribute to the rapidity of the mobilisation of the Boers, observers point out that, within a feu hours of the Government’s call, ten thousand of the Burghers from the countrysidie arrived on the Rand.

It transpires that the Red placed seventy captured police in the top storey of the Market Buildings in Fordesburg, so that if it were bombed the politic would be exposed. The news leaked out in time to avoid a bombing. Amongt those charged with treason are Mr Nicholas, a member of the Johannesburg Town Council, and another member. The chairman of the Public Health Committee has been arrested. Mr Thompson, acting-president of the Industrial Federation, has also been arrested. The Government troops are stated to have found bombs and detonators, skilfully concealed as traps, on stair cases id the buildings captured at Fordesburg on Wednesday. A man captured yesterday is believed to be responsible for the local manufacture of the bombs used against the beleagured police. A factory was discovered in a house at Neu lands.

BOERS AGAINST THE RISING

CAPETOWN, March 17

Many tributes are paid to the behaviour of the Burgher forces engaged in suppressing the revolution, which conduct is referred to as splendid. In thanking the Burgher forces on parade. Colonel H, Alentz (Minister of Defence) Said tiie people had a right to stand up iii defends of their rights, but not to shoot policefiiefi lincl walk about with clubs, killing everybody who (lid not agree with them. They stood for a White South Africa. Their children were going to inherit a White South Africa ; but not one composed of a class of people who were responsible for the recent disturbances.

General Brink said that persons from other countries had come and sown poison among the people of South Africa ; but he trusted that the lesson which they had now learned would never he forgotten. What had been done would show that such a * state of affairs would never again lie tolerated.

REVOLUTION HAPPENINGS. (Received This Day at 9.5 a.m.) CAPETOWN, March 18. One of the most remarkable personalities of the revolution was Percy Fisher, a prominent strike leader and mtf'- afterwards in command of the Reds at Fordshurg. A captured policeman gives the “Star” a graphic story of his experiences as a, captive in Fisher’s hands. ' The prisoners were required to take an oath not to take up arms or give evidence against their captors. On Sunday a marked change came over thd Reds, caused by the news that the Government forces had taken Vrededorp. On Monday Fisher compelled some captives to write a letter to Mr Smuts urging him to accept the offer from the rebels, but it is doubtful whetlier the letter was ever sent. On Tuesday the outlaws faced the inevitable fate with solid stoicism. Fisher heat live men unmercifully with a sjambok for trying to leave Fordshurg and go to the show ground. When the closing hour of the ultimatum approached the garrison met In the Red Hall and after an address by Fisher sang the Red Flag. They then had drinks and departed for the trenches for the last time. The captured policemen never expected to leave the place alive At eleven o’clock the first shrnrnel burst over the market buildings filling the hall with smoke. FLher told the police he did not want, to see them murdered.' and they could take cover. Not a man accepted the invitation. They simply sat and smoked and cheered, as the bombardment increased. An attempt was made in the trenches to hoist a. white flag, but this was instantly supiressed by the commander, who menaced the men with a Winchester repener. In the last knnx Fisher addressed the prisoners v ' • vehemence and begged them as young Africanders to keep the flag flying. 1 e then handed them a black kitten which had remained in the bmlhng and asked them to keep it f or V,ck He several times paced up and the hall, a moody browed figu-o. > "u----denly he turned and said good-bye •no left the hall with Spendiff: “Going to put himself out.” said an old sergeant. The bodies of Fisber and Socntfr were found in a room of Market Hall. Death was due to self-inflicted' revolver shots.

rand position. I TV'is Pnv at 0 40 a.mA j CAPETOWN, March 18. Addressing Burghers nt Auckland Park, the Minister of Justice said they had shown the rebel revolutionaries what stuff they were made of. They were not going to tolerate all these 'foreign ideas which had taken root at Johannesburg. He estimated six million were lost through the stoppage of gold production. Mr Smuts has issued an appeal to the public to raise » great fund for the relief of distress on the Rand. n e states the Government provincial local authorities will do their best to provide work for unemployed, but theie was certain to he want and distress on a large scale. The Administrators of the provinces had been asked to take a lend in the collection of funds. Mr Smutg has also issued an earnest appeal 'to the employers to err on the aide generosity in rc-employing men and refrain from anything likely to ha interfered as a, desire to take advantage Of those who in many er-rs acted unwillingly snder compulsion, the employers to bo generous

not only in the re engagement of men, But aslo in question of wages. A heavy legacy was left by recent deplorable events. It .needs a spirit of goodwill and generosity to enable the country to recover and commence the process of industrial development.

PRISONERS CAPTURED. (Received This Day at ".30 a.m.) CAPETOWN, March 18. Prisoners captured by Government forces are estimated to exceed seven thousand. There is no official statement of rebel casualties. Natives state the rebels buried many dead during the fighting and endeavoured to conceal the extent of their losses There is reason to believe that the number killed does not exceed two hundred. Probably the exact total will never be known

REBELS IN HIDING

Received This Day at 11.30 a.m.)

CAPETOWN, March 18

Many rebels supposed to be dead are probably in hiding among the Kopjes, caves and plantations along the reef. Some hundreds are in the woods south of Johannesburg.

Military operations are now practically confined to searching for rebels arms.

Gradual emergence of fresh facts show the Reds in the southern suburbs* established mob law early as ’Thursday evening when the transports were smashed and telephone wires cut and trenches dug.

Everything was organised down to the hospital which was staffed by young giirls under the charge of a chemist, who has now been arrested. From that time the southern suburbs wc-re in complete possession of the Reds, but in spite of the elaborate preparations and resistance. In the end they surrendered without firing a shot, their morale being completely broken by the success of the Government forces at Brixton, Fordsburg and Jeppe.

AN ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION Received This Day at 11.30 a.m.) CAPETOWN, March 18.

The Premier, Minister df Justice met a large force of mounted Burghers at Auckland Park and had remarkable and enthusiastic reception, the Burghers cheering and breaking their ranks crowding round the car, Smuts said he assured them he did not have any sleepless nights. He knew tied thousands, even tens of thousands would stand by him abd not stay to ask the reason why. The revolutionaries were broken and had learnt a K'ssoil. Ugly things and horrible things had happened. Atrocities which he never would have expected even from barbarians. People had been murdered in cold blood, even mutilated. He could not allow that sort of thing. It was a groat thing for Government to know that it did not need to keep a standing army, hut could rely on the Burghers when the emergency arose to do their duty without pay or reward.