Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-01-17
South Africa Fears
Spread Of Rioting and
Acts 10 Control II
BY the Assoeiofsd Press

DURHAM, Union of South At
RIGA, Jan. 17.-South Africa's
bloody racial warfare showed
signs of spreading today even as
government leaders set up ma
chinery to control the wild Zulu
Indian rioting.
The air still rang with shots in
Durham where police fired on native
looters last night, but police said
later the murderous feud was under
control here.
More than 100 persons were re-
ported killed here in the street
fighting that began last Thursday
after a native boy was injured in
a fight with an Indian peddler.
$4,000 Indians Flee.
The ugly warfare has spread to
other towns and rural areas, how
ever, and $4,000 Indians have fed
from their homes.
The latest flareup was reported
in Johannesburg, largest city in
South Africa, $40 miles northwest
Of Durham.
Troops and police stood by to
quell any violence after a bomb was
hurled from passing car at an
Indian shop. Windows were
smashed, but no one was hurt.
An emergency meeting of high
officials took place in Durham. 1t
was attended by Mayor L. L. Boyd,
Minister of Justice c. r. Swart and
Minister of Defense F. C. Erasmus.
Troops Will Remain.
Mayor Boyd assured citizens after
the meeting that reinforcements of
1000 troops would remain as long
as necessary to restore order. They
have been given wide powers.
Stories of the rape and mutila-
ton of Indian women by frenzied
mobs chanting ancient Zulu battle
cries have spread widely. Murder,
arson and looting also have been
included in the wild orgy.
Zulu King Cyprian called on his
people to stop the killing and re-
turn to their homes. But his words
went unheeded in many parts OF
Natal, the province in which Zulu
land is situated.
Troops fired on African. blacks
with machine guns in New Ger
many, II miles from here yester-
day, killing four.
Whites Barricade Selves.
White people barricaded them
selves in their homes and hotels
in Pinesville, also II miles away,
when the Zulus went on the ram
page.
The fighting between Indians and
Zulus. spread to Pietermaritzburg,
Natal's capital.
Because more than 5000 Indians
had fed from their homes here and
would not return, authorities were
presented with a major refugee
problem.
THE orgy of unbridled violence
of the last three days has shocked
the civilized world" DR.. G.. M.
Maker. president of the Natal In
dian Congress, said in broadcast
message.
ne SdlQ the 1IlOldllS WeiE sldIc1ul
for the assistance they had been
given by responsible African native
leaders. He thanked all those who
had provided food, clothing and
shelter for the thousands of Indian
refugees. He appealed against racial
feeling.
Economic Problems Blamed.
These riots, the worst in South
Africa's history, mark the first time
Indians and Zulus have been pitted
against each other in an orgy of
killing.
Economic dissaGsfaction has been
blamed for the native unrest. The
main foodstuffs of the blacks have
been in short supply and they have
claimed Indian merchants were
gouging and forcing tie-in deals on
them.
The natives say they are forced
to buy goods they don't want at
triple prices in order to get neces-
sites.
There are few native traders and
many rich Indian wholesalers,
storekeepers and landowners. The
poor native who couldn't afford
gasoline to run car cast bitter
eyes at the Indian tradesman who