THE RAND WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 62, 15 March 1922, Page 7

THE RAND WAR.

EVIDENCE OF DEEP PLANNING pOCrtIMENTARY DISCLOSURES. jßy Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright • (_Roi'oivotl 1..".0 p.in.l CAPKTOYVX, March 14. Even some -•■ikrrs :ir.' indi/mant at disclosure*, ma- in •■.iptmrel documents showing thai t!»' ■ •.■volution bad been lung planner! ■ i<l «»* xuppurted by money from ul'insul. A largo run." ■ »f arrest? were ma.de vo-terday nil i lurjiP* ranging; from spreading fal*- infuniiiition t<> high treason. The raajuiiU uf the prisoners are miners, but many ttrf> of tnc quasi-pro-fessional class, iinHidin," T ri.~li i Dutch, Germans. Ru.-MMans, Greeks, and Poles. Details nf the attack on Fordsburg show at 11 o'clock a pun signalled the cominencemeiit. the infantry advanced, end the police guns on Brixton Ridge opened fire. Three minutes Inter the Durban Light Infantry linked u;i near the <-emeterr. After a brief lull, the guns bombarded the trenches in the market square, and then the advance was resumed. Reinforcements brought in motor cars swelled the ranks of the attackers, who in three-quarters of an hour bad occupied some of the FonUburg houses, and continued to press forward. At noon .the white flag wa« hoisted, firing ceased, and the battle appeared to be over on the northern side of the town, but intermittent rifle fire \vas continued in the vicinity of the railway station. This was only a flash in the pan, and the town w as virtually captured shortly after noon.— (A. and X.Z. Cable.) SCENES AT rOBDSBUSG. OTHER AREAS QUIET. (Received 1.30 p.m.) CAPETOWN, March 14. Huge crowds watched the bombardment of Fordsburg from the streets of Johannesburg. In response to the leaflet warnings dropped by aeroglanes, advising non-combatants to leave I'ordslurg, a great exodus immediately com-! nienced, people streaming along the', appointed route. Among them were 50 1 police who had been in the imprisoned i area for several days. Great confusion prevailed and there were many pathetic ecenes. All kinds of transport were Used to remove belongings, including wheelbarrows and perambulators. Those •who were unable to secure vehicles carried what they could on their shoulders » for a mile and a-half to the showground. , Many also tied to Johannesburg. ~So such scene was ever before ■witnessed in South Africa. Fortunately the weather was fine. In • the Legislative Assembly, the Acting-Premier stated the Fordsburg rebels asked for an armistice, and were told that only unconditional surrender would be accepted. They allowed women qnd children to lea*e the suburb, but turned back all male adults. He also : announce)! _that thousands had been captured or surrendered at the East IRand. Mr. Jlalan. the Nationalist leader in the Cape Province, moved the adjournment a's ii mar.k of sympathy with the fallen men. The Acting-Premier declined to accept the motion, if it were intended to signify sympathy- with the revolutionaries.. * Mr. ftlalan disclaimed such an idea. The motion was defeated by 63 to 48, Nationalists and Labourites forming the minority. An attempt was made to organise a procession in Capetown to express sympathy with the. strikers, 'but the participants quietly dispersed when ordered to do so by the police^ At Durban commandos entered the dock area with the intention of pulling out the workers, but thej- wore dispersed iby the police, who galloped through and scattered the. crowd. The trains and municipal services in Durban arc being maintained, but all the building trade employees are out.— (A, and K.Z. Cable.