UNKNOWN

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17402, 13 March 1922, Page 7

UNKNOWN

i BHlfepECt SHORTLY. : •''' *r. .4 • *M *hll ' the situation and |Bra|jPF£h they are armed. to the serious, reinforcelar^'nuinberß Beriouancsa of the. number of casualat It is beand N«>w-. of the revolucommando is barricade - with' their: position. Hpgga^ and nineteen - - to". .jre^olutionari^s

fanned Vith

Th r.H gr „ e vl oSt + , indi has beer, aroused o\eV the reported murder of an officer and two men ii-„i •

FIERCE STREET FIGHTING.

CASUALTIES AT BENONI.

(Banter's Telegrams.) (Received Marda 12th, 5 5 ti ml CAPE TOWN,' March 12. Routers eoirespondent describing tho earlier fighting, says iiencni was awakened by an exchange of shots in Market square. There was fierce street fighting in which sight**™ were mixed up, despite warnings. Thousnnus of spectators flocked wherever there was trouble. For two hours the streets from Market square to the Workers Hall was the war area Every now. and then a bullet found its billet, and people in the crowd dropped, killed or wounded. The ambulances pluckilv carried on their work In the meantime the Workers' Hall was strengthening its defences with sandbags, while those inside kept up a fusil.ade. It is alleged that tho trouble was started by strikers potting at a police cyclist detachment and woundin" a native constable. . ° When new figlhting broke out in north-east Johannesburg, the Peitfontein commando fired across the lake on the police, while the Fordsbuirg commando started an attack in the* town itself. x Fi-rhting continued during the night, but the fci owds were cleared and no one waa allowed in the Btreets. THE CASUALTY LIST. • ■ The reports of casualties are conflicting. but it is understood that 19 police and 30 civilians were killed, and 18 police and 21 civilians wounded. Another report states that when the Transvaal Scottish Regiment was ambushed at Benoni 18 of them were killed and 25 wounded. Tho heaviness of their losses was due to attempts by the men to assist their stricken comrades. Reinforcements extricated those ambushed from a desperate position. Lieutenant V. Brodgan, not a mine manager as previously reported, was killed at Brakpan. Tho latest reports state that commandos from the central area are concentrating) apparently with a view to taking possession of Johannesburg before the burghers under Generals Britz and De Venter can arrive with rein-' foroements. The strikers burned the Fordsburg police station. MUCH BLOODSHED EXPECTED. GBAVE STATEMENT BY PRIME BONISTER. .'V ' r . OA-PE TOWN, March 10. In the jfourse of » statement in the Legislative Assembly, General J. C. Smuts, Prime Minister, said the Goveil.ment was most reluctant to declaim martial law, but the situation was so grave that it had no choice. Fighting raging over a large gort of-the Rand wiih Ijeavy casualties, and the House and. the country must be prepared for bloodshed on a scale not anticipated before. Their duty was to see the .business through and riot to alloiy the country to fall into a state of', anarchy-.- i<9Fhe attack had begun in regular fighting style, as if there was war. The /railways were practically •in abeyanoeV !Railwaymen had been pulled from their duties and women and children maltreated. Tl?e natives were in a state of, turmoil. He emphasised that' the natives had offered not the least provocation; A1I ; statements to the contrary were incorrect., The Prime Minister appealed' to the House and the countiy to support the Government in re-establishing publio authority.' The burghers had been called upon to come to their aid,: and, no doubt, whatever their political feelings. r were they would respond and Ktand by the. Governments Mr T., JBoydell, leader of the Labour Party, asked the Prime Minister to gpfc. the Chamber of; Mines in a suitable frame of mind to meet ; the men : and effect a settlement. '' Tho Speaker ruled, that they could not have a debate on the strike.! , . The: Labourites endeavoured t4 move the adjournment, but ,were defeated by 83 votes to 13. The for. the first. tupe voted with the Government, '■ V

GENERAL STRIKE CALL ' • ii; ; •• V . r - f ''i. ■' ' : r ' . " .RESPONSE AT DU&BANV : ■». - ■ ' .. ■ / ■ i. - ■ (TlooftivoiJ March. 12th, 5.£ T>lmA . ; QATE JOWXS, March H. • A general etriko has been proclaimed at Durban,-but water, light, and power for the trams have beettVcleclared easential service., Ageneral response is regarded as unliLfejy.. The engine-, drivers,, firemen,; and hoilennakera have already/ refused to ■join./ i, : Thb. -East "Lo&don twtes' unionists have- decided ndt to .down tools. Pretoria reports that the position 'there is normal. Publication of the new Nationalist newspaper supporting the stride has been, stopped.

THE LATEST NEWS. ' situation much settee on " SATURDAY NIGHT.

(Received Marvh 13th, 12,30 a.ou) CAPE TOWN, Marah 11.

An official report to-night says the position is much better than it was yeatemay. v-.-'l'todr JohanflCßburg "Star" says the Lolioe or© usmg machine-guns in the xsewlj&ds area whew the commandos have I'pkad'uP with the Hredectorp and irordsbiiig ioicos, thus forming a line qf two miios jt'rom jphaimesburg. About 100 men were arrested in the town, yesterday. _ • The railways have been blown up m a number of places, and several areas, including the East ltand, are o\it of communication-. ThCtask 0? the ponce and the volunteers is an immensely difficult one owing to the cohditions' of ue street fightis reported that Mr.Tielman Roos, the leader in tho Transvaal, has offered his services to the Government to do anything possible to terminate the hostilities.