PAUSE BROKEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1940, Page 6

PAUSE BROKEN

INCIDENT IN ,CAPE TOWN. FREE FIGHT IN CITY. There wore exciting scenes during the midday pause in Adderley Street, Cape Town, on a recent occasion. It had been rumoured the previous night that there might be trouble, and as a result the police were ordered to stqnd by. As the loud speakers announced the start of the pause, the huge crowd became quite. Two youjig men. however, one with a cigarette in his mouth, walked across the street. The taller of the two men disappeared in the crowd, but the other with the cigarette in his mouth sauntered up and down as the rest of the crowd stood in silence. Immediately the pause was over a number of soldiers made for him. The police quickly intervened, and after some trouble were able to disentagle the free fighting that ensued. One man was injured fairly seriously, while one or two others received cut faces. The crowd by now was tremendous, with spectators watching and cheering from all the surrounding buildings. I When a group of people started to sing “Afrikaners Landgenote.” the crowd surged towards them. Police and soldiers linked arms, the soldiers putting their rifles behind their backs and forming a barrier. Thon someone began to sing “There'll always be an England " and cheers wore called for General Smuts and boos for Hitler. The Mayor of Cape Town. Mr W. Brinton, stepped into the space created by police and soldiers and appealed to the crowd to disperse, as further trouble might be caused. Traffic was held up completely and the police worked hard to force a passage through the throng. Military units then lined up in coloumn of threes and marched up and down the street to the applause of the crowd.

It was not until 12.45 p.m. that traffic was able to proceed normally.