Evening star., 1914-10-13
Text of Proclamation.

Claimed throughout the union.
Text of Proclamation.
The proclamation imposing martial
law follows:
Whereas a state of war exists be-
tween the British empire on the one
hand and the German empire on the
other; and whereas the government of
the protectorate of German Southwest
Africa has through widespread, Sc
cret propaganda persistently endeav-
ored to seduce citizens of the union and
officers and members of the defense
forces of the union from their allie
glance, and to cause rebellion and civil
war within the union; ad whereas
these efforts have SO far succeeded that
Lieut.. Col. Solomon Gerhardus Maritz
together with number of his officers
and a portion of the forces under his
command, has shamefully and traitor
ously gone over to the enemy and is
now in open rebellion against the gov
ernnaent and the people of the union
and Is IN conjunction with forces of
the enemy, invading the northern por-
Sion OF the Cape provinces.
Proposal for Republic.
And whereas there is grave reason
to think that the government of Ger
man Southwest Africa has through its
numerous spies and agents communi-
Gated with and corrupted also other
citizens of the union under the false
and treacherous pretext of favoring the
establishment Of a republic in South
Africa; and
"And whereas the government of the
union considers it necessary to take
effective measures to protect and de-
fend the interests of the union and it's
loyal and law-abiding citizens against
these insidious and treacherous at
tacks from within and without, and to
that end to declare martial law
Continuing, the proclamation declares
that the whole Union of South Africa
Is under martial law, as understood
and administered in time of war, and
dating as from today.
The proclamation is signed by Lord
Buston, governor general of the union,
and countersigned by Gen. SHUTS, min
lister of defense.
The rebellion among the forces of the
Northwest Cape Province has been
brewing since the resignation of Gen.
Beyers as commander-in-chief of the
union forces
Also Had German Troops.
AS soon as the government realized
this situati it sent Col. Brits to re-
lieve Maritz of his command. Col.
Brits then discovered that Maritz was
commanding German troops as well
as his own, and that he had German
guns in his possession. Maritz, who
had been given the German rank OF
general. had arrested those of his Off
GERS and men who We're unwilling to
ioin the Germans and had sent them as
prisoners of war to German South-
west Africa.
Accordin- to an official statement an
agreement was drawn up between Ma
ritz and the governor OF German South
west Africa guaranteeing the inde-
pendence of the union as republic.
ceding Walish bay and other parts of
the union to the Germans. and under
taking that the Germans should invade
the union only If Maritz asked them to
Maritz boasted that he possessed
large supplies of guns. rifles. ammuni-
fion and money obtained from the Ger
mans, and that he would overrun the
whole of South Africa.
I'm view of this state of affairs" con-
cludes the official statement, the gov
ernment is taking most drastic steps to
ouel this rebellion and punish all
deserts"
News Shock to England.
LONDON. October Is. $50 p.rn.-The
rebellion of section of the Dutch ele-
ment in South Africa, which broke to-
day with a suddenness OF d bolt from
the blue, is the first warning note tina,
has marred the harmony in the British
empire since the outbreak of the war
and it has momentarily diverted atter
tion from the arenas near the heart Of
the empire
That this rising was real and danger
Gus was sufficiently proved by oficia
dispatches from Gov Gen. Burton
to the imperial government. and by tn
drastic Step Gen. Louis Botha and hi
colleagues have taken to stamp il on
by the imposition of martial law il
the whole Union of South Africa
lit apparently is the belief of Gen
fsotha's government that others be
aides those under the Immediate com
kand of Col. Maritz may have beel
Erected. hence the inclusion of tn
whole dominion in the order estab abIish
tng martial law.
At Work for Years.
Germanizing factors are said b.
esritish authorities to have been a
Gork for years in the frontier dis
t.1cts, and to have even percolate
<hto southwestern Transvaal and othe
Dutch districts.
kilograms from Cape Town declare how
ever that d ma jority of the Dutch remain
absolutely loyal, and this seems to b
shown by resolutions drawn up at d
emergency meeting of the South Afri
Dan party summoned Immediately afte
the news of the rebellion had Ieake