·6O THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN QUESTION not have, and when it was their duty not to have sanctioned the legislation in question. They are now undoubtedly most anxious to settle this troublesome matter. Lord Crewe has endeavoured to bring about a satisfactory result, but he is too late. Mr. Smuts, perhaps, very properly has reminded his Lordship of the fact that the legislation in question had received Imperial sanction, and that he should or could now be called upon to retracs his steps, because the British Indians in the Transvaal had undertaken to disregard the legislation, and to suffer the penalties of such disregard. His position as a politician and as an aspirant to high office "in a white South Africa" is unquestionable, but ·neither the British public nor the Indian public are interested in his position nor are they party to this crime of the Imperial Government. We may add that, during the last four months, arrests and imprisonments have gone on unabated. The leaders of the community continue to go to prison. The Beverity of the prison regulations is maintained The Drison diet has been altered for the worse, Prominent medical men of Johannesburg have certified that the present dietary scale for Indian prisoners is deficient. The authorities, unlike their action during last year, have ignored the religious scruples of Mahomedan prisoners. and have refused to give facilities for observing the sacred annual fast which millions of Mahomedans scru- pulously undergo from year to year Sixty passive resisters recently came out of the Pretoria gaol emaciated and weak. Their message to us is that, starved as theY were, they are ready to be re·arrested as soon as the Government wish to lay their hands on them. The acting Chairman of the British Indian Association has
