DEPORTED SYNDICALISTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1205, 7 February 1914, Page 3

DEPORTED SYNDICALISTS.

GENERAL SMUTS DEFENDS

THE UNION

Capetown, Feb. 5

Intense interest was taken in General Smuts’ speech in defence of the deportation of the labour leaders. He drew a graphic picture of the reign ot terror on the Rand, where free labour was subjected to the greatest brutality. Anarchy was so rampant that civilians did not dare to assist the authorities with information and evidence. It was with July’s experience that the Government acted in January. He ridiculed labour talk of constitutional methods after the events in July had culminated in a situation which since then had necessitated the mobilisation of a hundred thousand men. The movement was no ordinary strike, but a syndicalist conspiracy ©f an advanced type. Foiled in July, Poutsma, Bain, and others determined on a new effort. Bain’s exhortation to the workers to come armed to the Benoni meeting at the end of June revealed the true character of the leaders’ intentions. But for the Imperial troops in July the country would have been in a terrible position, and they could never be sufficiently grateful for their help. He admitted there were mortifying features about the compact with the labour leaders in July, but the Government chose the lesser evil. General Smuts quoted the speeches of Poutsma, Bain and Waterstoa to show that they were revolutionaries of the most dangerous type- He taunted the Labour members with being mere preachers, leading their followers to drink and then deserting them. Bain, Poutsma and their colleagues were doers, and the latter never intended that there should be a settlement. It was their clear intention to goad the Government into action that would promote a general strike. The facts made it clear that the syndicalists nearly succeeded in their settled intention to paralyse trade and terrorise the community into abject surrender. No invader could inflict greater destruction and bring greater disaster than syndicalists, who conspired to bring the country to its knees.

General Smuts described Bain, whom he first knew as a secret service agent of the Transvaal Republic, as the most desperate character he had ever met.

General Smuts spoke for a further two hours, and finished amid general cheers, except from the Labourites.

He made no sensational disclosures, and argued that the exceptional nature of the crisis and the success of martial law justified the proclamation, while the deportation was justified on the ground of expediency and public policy.

MINERS LEAVE FOR AUSTRALIA. Capetown, Feb. 5. A hundred and fifty miners sailed in the Berrima for Australia. Figuieira, one of the arrested labour men, has been released. Counerty, Neild, Buckley and Carson were committed lor trial for inciting a strike.