The Washington herald., 1922-03-15
Threatens to BOmbard
= Fordsburg If They
Refuse to Yield.
BENONI CAPTURED
AFTER HARD FIGHT
South African Premier
Declares Rebellion Is
Smashed.

hittiHb by lne government
forces from east and west have
completely broken the back of the
South African strikers revolution.
Benoni has been captured by the
government troops and 1000
strikers were taken prisoner,
which with 1900 taken yesterday
at Nrededrop. gives an idea of the
numbers involved in the outbreak.
The attack on Benoni by Gen.
Van Deventer and his loyal Boer
farmer troops was marked hy very
severe fighting. The attack opened
at daybreak and the loyalists were
in possession of the town by IL
n m Leaving a garrison in Be-
nOni. Gen. Van Deventer marched
against Brakpan, another strong
hold of the miners After a battle
he relieved the besieged police gar
risons. who had held out gallantly
against overwhelming odds for
three days without food or water.
Threatens BOmbardment.
Fordsburg. a mile or so south of
johannesburg. which has been the
revolutionaries' main headquar-
ters." has not yet surrendered.
Gen. Jan Smuts this morning is
sued an ultimatum to the strikers
of this region, giving them until
IL o'clock to surrender. If they
refuse they will be bombarded.
The rebels have not replied, but
IL Is believed they are availing
themselves of the temporary delay
to remove the women and children.
1t is not thought they will give In,
as most OF the extremists are con-
T. Al
though the leaders must realize the
hopelessness of further resistance.
they will harangue the men into
fighting to a finish.
In the far east section of the
Rand conditions have been allevi-
ated- The railway has been cleared
and trafnc Is running as usual.
Rebels dynamitod the tracks Of the
main line near Dover Junction.
thirty miles south of the Transvsal
border, and a switch engine was de-
rallied
Fights to Avert Civil War.
An oficial communique by Pre-
nner Smuts says the government
troops are steadily advancing on
an sides and the rebellion is al
ready so effectively smashed that
prehension.
In bringing TO bear all the mill
tary resources of the Union of
South Africa to pacify the strike
and revolt-torn land of rich fields
and richer mines. Premier SHUTS,
once himself a bitter foe of Great
Britain. Is battling to stave OF a
many-sided civil war. He is fac
ing not only a most serious labor
problem. melted by Bolshevists, but
a vast nationalist element, which
has long been demanding a revival
of the Boer republic, and a danger
Gus race question.
With white men fighting white
men. the race question looms
larger each day. In the Union of
South Africa. not counting Rhsde-
sia and BasutSand. there are 1900
900 whites and 100000 Kafirs.
The coIOred men are largely armed.
many OF them have gained some
education and the idea OF self-de-
bedded among them.
Kanirs Trust Gen. SHUTS.
Unreconstructed Beers have Wig
orOusly spread propaganda among
them, to weaken their faith in Brit
Ish rule. Only the remarkable re-
gard which the Kafirs feel toward
Gen. SmuHs has acted as a deter
rent against a general attack by
the coIored men upon the whites.
Many Kaffirs have been killed or
wounded in the disturbances and
the feeling among them Is known
to be very bitter.
The present rebellious conditions,
with the cries for Bolshevist Soviet
rule overwhelming that of the Boer
farmers for a republic such as Dom
Paul Kruger once ruled, Is the
outErowth of a strike in the gold
mines which began about three
months ago. Mine owners. declar-
ing they were operating many Of
the poorer properties at a loss.
asked the miners union to agree 10
a cut In wages. This PROPOSITION
was rejected and some OF the mines
began substituting cheaper colored
labor for white men, declaring this
was the only alternative to closing
down the mines
Kept Open by Gold Bonus.
Premier Smuts declared about the
time of the opening of negotiations
that one-half of the gold mines on
= the Rand were kept open only by
the bonus of gold due to world ex-
change conditions. When European
currency. particularly the pound
sterling, began to rise and In turn
the premium on United States cur
reucy fell. the South African mine
profits were heavily slashsd.
In 1921 the gold output of the
Rand mines was about $500. 0O0. 900
with about s44.O0O,0OO profit The
profits, according to the govern
ment. came almost entirely from
the richer mines.
Following the strike of the gold
miners. who were Joined by the
coal miners. there was some minor
violence. but Premier SHUTS was
hopeful of'bringing about a settle
ment. Late in February many of
the miners returned to work on his
promise to obtain an adjudication
Of wage and working conditions
However the race question con-
tinued to flare up; particularly in
the coal district. and several Kaf-
frs were killed. Red aEitators.
financed with foreign money, also
became more energetic. When
peace seemed nearest-about March
5-the executive committee OF the
cOnsis&ed on Page TrO.