Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-04
TRANSVAAL PROBLEM
ASIATIC QUESTION A SERIOUS
ONE FOR SOUTH AFRICA.


opeciai The Star.
JOHANNESBURG October 4.-Win the
Transvaal have to build new Jail to
accommodate 10000 Asietics? Or will the
first law passed by thu first elected parlia-
ment be successfully defsd by the eastern
peoples within her borders?
These are the questions South Africa is
asking The TransvaaIs latest trouble
raises an issue of the greatest Importance
The Indians in the colony have armed them
selves with the weapon of the English Nom
! conformists. They have become passive re-
sisters. They sit down and stoidiY refuse
| to obey the law. They are prepared to be
sent TO jail, ruined in business or d.
ported. But they will no, be registered by
act OF parliament The deadlock il an awk-
ward one. What the Asatics in The Trans
Vaal do today the Asiatics in Natal. or Aus
tralia or British Columbia may do tomor-
! row. Worse still. the resistance to the law
MAJ have bad effect upon the millions
OF oolored people in tn. subcontnent. They
may begin to say among themselves that
! the rule of the white man is not so very
| strong after all. And lastly. the mere fact
of this resistance may tend To fan the flame
of anti-British feeling In India.
There are in the Transvaal some 12OO0
Asia tics-exClusve of the Chinese mine
coolies, who do not come within the new
act. 1t is declared by the administration
that their numbers being constantly
added to by the influx of newcomers who
get in on the strength of false permits or
without any permits at all.
1t was resolved therefore, to find out pre-
cisely who entitled to reside In the
Transvaal. and for this purpose there was
passed the Asiatic law amendment ordi-
nance. which. although not assented to in
the days of the nominated legislature, was
allowed by the imperial authorities when
passed by the selfgoverning colony. This
law calls upon every Asiatic to apply for
nj he a Q k
ing for this certificate every Asatic male
over eight years of age must place his
finger impressions.
New Act Put in Force.
The government decided to put the act in
force district by district They began with
Pretoria. where the Asiatics were called
upon to register between July l and July
81. Led by the British Indians, the Asiatics
refused. They placed pickets outside the
registration office. and the official appointed
to receive the applications sat all day and
every day waiting for Asiatics who did not
come. Then it was decided to receive APP
plications secretly at night at private
houses. Forty Memons gave in. and 1t Is
believed another thirty forty Indians
applied But in Pretoria alone 1000 Ash
atics defied the law. and assuming that the
proportion is maintained in all the other
districts there will eventually be over 10000
Asiatics liable first to a fine of $500 or
three months imprisonment then to the
loss of their trading licenses, and finally to
deportation.
The Indians object to the principle of the
act and also to it's provisions. They de-
clare 1t is class legislation of the worst
type. They say that II every man in the
Transvaal were called upon to register,
they would register as quickly as any one.
But when they are singled out by law, they
refuse. They protest that a precedent
ha cd hat ha
principle of special legislation is admitted
in the statute book there is no guarantee
that 1t will not be expanded and that they
will be forced to live and trade in special
locations. pay special taxes. and in fact be
treated differently from other British SUBJ
jects.
The secondary objections are equally
strong. They protest that the finger-impres-
sion system is humliating and degrading,
and classes. them with criminals. They
protest that the demand that they shall
declare their mothers name is an insult to
their religious IDEAS for with many In
dams it would be deemed a serious dis
grace to utter the name OF their mother.
Prefer Ruin to Submission.
Welt do merchants have resolved to.
face ruin rather than submit. Mr.. Gandhi,
who headed the recent deputation to Eng
land asks to be the first man. semitic prison
for resisting what he says Is gross injustice
jects Heads Of Asiatic business houses
have cabled to their supporters In all parts
of the world canceing orders until it Is
decided whether they are to be ruined or
not The hawker abandons his daily round
in order to attend protest meetings: stores
In distant dorps are closed while the own
ers hasten to Pretoria to support the agita-
ton.
To some extent the Asiatics are prepared
to give way They will agree to voluntary
registration, with finger Impressions IL the
obnoxious act is withdrawn and only
voluntarily. This Is the greatest concession
they will make. Voluntary registration
yes; registration by law. nO-not even If
the alternative be Jail and ruin.
The Transvaal public a whole refuse
to admit the arguments of the ASatics.
They declare they willing to treat fairly
all eastern people who have the right to live
Asia tics-mainly British Indians-were taxi
en- over with the country. They may be
burden. But the burden was accepted with
other burdens, and there is wish to get
rid Of 1t forciby. But it is urged that the
extent of the burden must be known. The
Indians who entitled to live in the
colony must be identified. 1t is impossible
to go on issuing permits indiscriminately
and allowing numbers of newcomers to en-
ter the colony. Pros ecution cannot be be-
gun until the new act has been proclaimed
all over the colony.
Two or three months may elapse before
all the districts have been dealt with. There
is thus time to come to compromise But
when the act has been proclaimed all over
the colony, what will happen If the Asiatics
still defy the law? VIII the Transvaal gov
eminent build a new jail Or will 1t