A SOUTH AFRICAN APPEAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 7

A SOUTH AFRICAN APPEAL.

HAVELOCK WILSON'S CALL. FIRM STAND AGAINST « REDS." (Received 1.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, this day. General Hertzog, Premier of South Africa, made a further appeal to Mr. Bruce to assist to overcome the inconveniences caused by the South African Government's vessels .being held up. ixv race re P lied that the Commonwealth Government was using its utmost endeavours to cope with the situation. Mr Bruce received a cablegram from Mr. Itavelock Wilson, congratulating him on his firm stan(l against the « Eeds .» He coribmues: "It is in the true interest ot all decent British seamen that you should do so. I have devoted fifty years of my life to the British seamen's cause, . and cannot tolerate blacklegs destroying ■tnoir position."—(A. and.N.Z. Cable.) ! POLICE AND STRIKERS. I AN UGLY SITUATION. J SYDNEY, September 10. A meeting of the British seamen who !are on strike Avas held at the Town Hall pthis morning. Pickets were posted at J every entrance and outside the building-, and the Press was excluded. Shortly after the meeting had commenced a strong force of police surrounded the hall. The strikers decided not to assist the police in any way and to leave the hall in a body. Suddenly the men left the building en masse. Policemen, accompanied by officers from various ships, mingled with the seamen, but their efforts to arrest those for whom they held warrants proved virtually futile. i They made only one capture, namely, J. T. Johnstone, chairman of the Strike Committee, and he was arrested inside the building. The police then, left the scene. The situation looked ugly for a time and a serious conflict might easily have been precipitated. To-day 353 more warrants were issued. At the meeting of seamen a resolution was passed requesting the State Labour Government to release immediately those seamen who received "atrocious sentences." It was also resolved that no negotiations for a settlement of the etrike should take place so long as any British seamen are in gaol, and that before any settlement can. be reached, all records of J imprisonment, and all victimisation must be eradicated.— (A. and N.Z.) THIRTY MEN SENTENCED. FOURTEEN DAYS IN GAOL. MELBOURNE, September 10. It is stated that secret negotiations to settle the shipping etrike -are taking place in Sydney, and that representatives of the overseas shipowners and the delegates to the Union Congress have arranged a meeting. Before a special Court 30 seamen were sentenced to three weeks' imprisonment and ordered to forfeit threo days' pay. Six others were sentenced to jseven days' imprisonment and ordered to forfeit two days' pay. Forty-one men were sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment with a forfeit of two days' pay. All these men were charged with wilful disobedience of lawful commands. One of the accused will appear before the Juvenile Court, as he is under the age of 10. Strike officials say they have suffl- ' cient funds to keep all the strikers in I Melbourne for a further three weeks. j At Brisbane 21 warrants have been I issued against striking seamen.—(A. and I N.Z. Cable.) I MIN'S CREW SENTENCED. (Received 1.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, this day. Twenty seamen from the steamer Mm at Newcastle were sentenced to 48 hours' ! imprisonment for disobedience of lawful ! commands. No order was made for forfeiture of pay. Owing to differences in the sentences imposed on striking seamen by two magistrates, it is likely that an appeal , will be lodged in the cases of the more I heavily sentenced men. — (A. and N.Z.) « PRISON BEFORE SLAVERY." MELBOURNE,, September 10. In accordance with a, decision to give themselves up to the police, 250 strikers this morning marched though the streets I from the union offices to the City Police Court. They were headed by a banner inscribed: "Prison before slavery." On their arrival at the Court the men were sorted into batches and arrested. An arrangement was made with the police to save unpleasantness in the execution of the warrants. An additional 246 warrants were issued £o-day.— (A. and N.Z. Cablee.) NORMAL AT HOME. PICKETING. SLACKENING. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, September 10. The Seamen's Union state that all ports are normal. Picketing is slackening daily owing to shortage of strike funds. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.)