REVOLT CRUSHES,

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1922, Page 5

REVOLT CRUSHES,

AFRICA AGAIN QUIET. BOLSHEVIKS TO BLAME. BIG RISING AVERTED. TROOPS CLEANING UP. ■frlerFßik.— Pms Assn—Copyright. Received March 17, 1.35 a.m. Capetown, March 16. An official summary of the course of events since the outbreak of the revolution on Friday states that it has been brought to an end by the quick decision of the Government in declaring martial law and the loyal assistance of citizens, offered from every point of the Union. People of all political convictions came forward to help the Government to put down what, now there is no doubt, has been a social revolution of Bolsheviks, international socialists and communists. The country has been saved the terrible peril of bloodshed; the revolution is entirely suppressed, and excepting for a few who escaped capture, all the revolutionaries have been taken prisoner. Upwards of six thousand prisoners have been taken. Those responsible for murder and rapine will have to be dealt with.

The Government gladly acknowledges the loyal assistanoe of citizens and burghers of all political convictions who came forward to assist in restoring law and order, and sincerely hopes the country will now settle down again to peaceful conditions. Troops are engaged cleaning up sectors in the central

and eastern areas, while revohitionarieu are doing their utmost to escape They got rid of their arms, some making for the Free State. Although the revolution is effectively crushed a certain amount of sniping continues in desperate efforts to escape the hands of the law. Operations in the eastern suburbs of Johannesburg developed into house to house fighting. It is expected the authorities will round up threds in the southern suburbs to-day. Most of the shops were open yesterday, and all wi»l probably be open to-day. In calling off the general strike the industrial federation, as distinct from the augmented executive on which the various unions were represented, states that had there been no disturbing influences the joint executive would have proceeded to a ballot on the question of a return to work, but while a meeting was proceeding on March 6 extremists freely exercised revolvers and sticks in support of threats that the augmented executive would not be allowed out of the room till they had declared a general strike, and the executive succumbed to these threats. The federation now calls off the strike, and completely repudiates the rebellion.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

MIXES RESTARTING. DETAILS OF FIGHTING. Capetown, March 15. Indications that the situation is becoming normal are afforded by the announcement that the restrictions on railway traffic to Johannesburg have been withdrawn. The situation at Pretoria remains quiet. The resolution of the local Town Council condemning lawlessness and supporting the Government was much appreciated. The boilermakers and moulders in the railway shops, who struck on Monday in sympathy with the Johannesburg men. took a ballot, resulting in a majority against continuing the •trike. Another significant fact is that the mines are restarting work as the local conditions permit. At the East Rand Proprietary mine 250 men offered and 100 were engaged. Refugees from Fordsburg give graphic details of the conditions while the Reds were in charge. Most of the plate glass windows in the principal stores were smashed and wholesale looting followed the Fordsburg battle and was still in progress. When the clearing up of the Jeppe area commenced the chief difficulty was not so much the strength of the Reds as the awkward conditions of dealing with barricaded streets and houses. The house-to-house search is being continued. The damage to property through the Fordsburg bombardment was not so serious as anticipated. Only a portion in the neighborhood of the market square suffered severely. The square was heavily entrenched all round, but when the bombardment commenced the Reds showed no eagerness to occupy the trenches and the firing was done mostly from the neighboring houses. DEATH BEFORE SURRENDER. Capetown, March 15. The reason why the Market Square garrison in Fordsburg did not surrender when the other groups of Reds hoisted the white flag was that Percy Fisher, a noted extremist of great influence, threatened to ehoot anyone attempting to surrender. He was shot dead fighting. Commandant Klopper and 60 men of the garrison immediately gave in.

GENERAL SMUTS’ GENIUS. Capetown, March 15. In a few short hours, through the genius of General Smuts, Johannesburg has been transformed from a city of poisonous Red warfare to a town of peace. Everyone is talking business as usual. Voluminous evidence exists of a Bolshevik plot. It is stated that the Revelations -will be astonishing. RED FLAG HALF MAST. SYMPATHY IN AUSTRALIA. Received March 16, 8.45 p.m. Melbourne, March 16. The Trades Hall and council fly the ted flag and the Australian flag at halfmast as a mark of respect "for the heroic members of the working class Who lost their lives in South Africa fighting against the extreme policy of the Chamber of Mines, which is endeavoring not only to reduce wages by direct methods, but is seeking to increase the percentage of cheap Kaffir labor.”—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

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