GENERAL SMUTS'S SPEECH.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13928, 9 February 1914, Page 5

GENERAL SMUTS'S SPEECH.

CIVIL WAR CONTEMPLATED.

PRECEDENT FOR DEPORTATION

THE INDEMNITY BITL

Capetown, Feb. C

Continuing his speech in the Union Parliament in justification of the Government'=s actions. General § units said the incident at Jagersfontein was a providential flashlight' showing a hat a general conflagration would mean. The strike leaders cuuieti>i;ia£ed ci«'"il war. When no longer ablo to nold mass meetings to inflame the workers, th«\y employed &n all oodies of men with dynamite in their pockets at the Trades Hall, and simultaneously instructed them to form commandoes. Dynamite was found freely along the railways and in other places. In tho background was always Ihe terrible menace of I lac 1* -population on the Rand.

The Government was the btst jodge of tbie situation, and it saw that, the time was ripe for drastic action. It to<jk its courage in both hands, and detfrmined to face criticisms over the deportation, to which mature consideration had been given. The responsibility did not rest with Lord Glad-stone. He regretted the attempts at censure. The Transvaal Peace Preservation Ordinance of 1903 gave power to summarily expel rersons dangerous to the country's peace. The criminal law did not cope with such cases, He instanced the acquittal of Crawford and Mrs. Fitzgwald in July. Tne Government was not prepared to risk a repetition of acquittals. He also cited the Galbraith atd Coles deportation, which, Mr. Ramsay MacDbnald endorsed. If this was justifiable^ the deportation of the Labour leaders was assuredly go. He scathingly condemned General Hertzog's want of patriotism and his actions in haranguing the Government at this critical time.

Geueral Smuts preferred to reserve the term j. atrio.t'for Mr. Merriman and Sir homas Smartt, who proffered their services as special constables. When the Trades Hall surrendered the authorities found that everything incriminating had been burnt. The Government's only alternative to safeguard the public was to proclain. nr.artia? 'lav . The public did not know tuat after the July strike tons of lethal weapons and assegais had been rollected in the native co ipounds. He paid a tribute to the magnificent response to Ihe mobilisation -rder, and hoy rich, ard poor flocked to the colours.

The Indemnity Bill provides for the expulsion of Poutsma, Bain, Crawford, Waterston, Mason, McKcrrell, Livingstone, Watson and Morgan, on the ground that they created unrest among the wage-earners, notwithstanding the fact that lawful provision had been made for the redress of their alleged grievances, and also that by their acts and conduct, they caused great danger to persons and property in the South African Union, and general detiiment and loss to the community.