THE CHINESE LABOUR QUESTION: TACTICS OF THE CAPITALISTIC PRESS.
(TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.")
Stu,—In reference to the letter appearing in your columns on December 19th, 1903, from Mr. F. H. P. Creswell on the subject of Asiatic labour for the mines, you will perhaps be interested to hear of the astonishing perversion of your own and Mr. Creswell's views by which the capitalistic Press of Johannes- burg has sought to secure a temporary advantage over the opponents of Chinese labour. The Rand Daily Mail (the organ of the Freeman-Cohen group) contained the folio wing cable in its issue of Monday, December 21st :— " CRESWELL RECONVERTED.
FAVOCES ASIATICS, BUT WANTS A PLEBISCITE.
LETTER TO THE " SPECTATOR."
(Faoli OIIR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
London, Saturday, Dec. 10.
In to-day's issue of the 'Spectator' appears a letter from Mr. Cresswell, late manager of the Village Main Reef mine, Johannes- burg, on the labour question. Mr. Cresswell announces that he has been reconverted from his opposition to the employment of Asiatics in the mines, but thinks it only right that before Asiatics are allowed to be imported the white residents of the Transvaal should be given an opportunity of declaring whether they will or will not have them. He therefore supports the referendum pro- posal, and expresses the hope that the Legislative. Council will insist on a poll being taken on the question before finally legis- lating for the introduction of Asiatics."
Reuter's cable on the same subject was suppressed, but for your information, and in order to show you how the capitalistic Press misrepresents the state of public feeling ill England on this important question, I append a copy of the same as it appeared in the other South African
papers
"London, Dec. 19.
The 'Spectator' this week publishes a letter from Mr. Cresswell, late Manager of the Village Main Reef mine, recapitulating his views on the Chinese labour question. Commenting on the letter, the Spectator' says that its recent reluctant acquiescence in Chinese importation was given under a misapprehension. It now thinks that the Imperial Parliament, as the trustee of popular rights throughout the Empire, should insist upon a referendum."
The instance above quoted is but one of many. It is the policy of the capitalistic Press to deceive the public by every means in its power, and no step is thought too mean, no false- hood too despicable, for this purpose. It would be interesting to know whether the London correspondents of papers like the Band Daily Mail have instructions to assist in this work of misrepresentation, or whether the fault lies solely at the door of Rand journalists. The English public has probably no conception of the methods employed by the capitalists, their organs, and their agents in manufacturing what they term a popular agitation for the importation of Chinese labour for tie mines. The above example will, I hope, afford some idea
of what is being done, and serve to place Englishmen and their Press on their guard against the false statements which emanate from capitalistic quarters.—I am, Sir, &c.,
F. HORACE ROSE.
Maritzburg.
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