11 SEPTEMBER 1964, Page 12

lik am Letters

Illegal Arrests Albert Lodge The Newsagent's Lot A. S. Jackson. William Platt Frank Staniforth Dylan Thomas John Tripp Echoes of Newsom John Scofield Opinion Polls Frank Teer All Good Fun Christopher Hollis The Nationalists Rev. D. Eirwyn Morgan South Africa Suzanne Cronfe Colour and the Election Norman Tiptafi Letters of Composers Herbert van Thal Without Degrees Elizabeth Gundrey Upholding the Establishment W. H. Jones Poetry Competitions Professor C. B. Cox and A. E. Dyson Strix Stanley Frond ILLEGAL ARRESTS

SIR,—In detailing cases where exuberant South Africans, in some cases government servants, have made sallies into adjoining British territories and dragged back opponents of apartheid, Mr. Pike has rendered a service. Yet such sorties have not been confined to the shanghaiing of persons.

During the first half of this year, 4mnesty Inter- national laboured to erect a reception centre in Bechuanaland for fugitives who arrive from the Republic of South Africa. With only a fortnight to completion, the building was blown up and shordY after the explosion a car was seen driving away to- wards the South African border.

The activities of South African agents in adjacent British territories have not been left unexamined, however. Following a visit to the British Protec- torates by an Amnesty barrister a few months ago, a confidential report on the movements of foreign agents in these territories was sent to the leaders of the three main political parties in this country. It 2s to be hoped that whichever party is elected In October, it will lose no time in implementing the stringent measures of control over the movements of white South Africans in British protected areas, which Mr. Pike advocates. Until such time not only refugees, but also all those people who help then will continue to be in danger.

ECI