SOUTH AFRICA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 9 October 1922, Page 8

SOUTH AFRICA.

RULE OF THE RIFLE. STAND BY GENERAL SMUTS.

BY CABLE- PRESS ASSOCIATION— '-OPITEIGZIT Received Oct. 9., 8.50 a.m. : CAPETOWN, Oct; 8. Speaking at Springfontein, General Smuts, referring to the Stassen case, said that the judges had arrived at the conclusion that the death sentence was the only one possible. It was a bitter thing to condemn the man to death, but [had he not advised the Governor-General as he did, he would not have been, worthy of his position. He deprecated the great danger of the tendency in South Africa to refer disputes to the arbitrament of the rifle. So long as he was in power he would not tolerate the rule of the rifle and would not permit extremists to rule the country. Referring to the world position, he declared that it seemed as if the old world had reached its zenith and the decline would follow. —Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn^: <p- : •. - <