AS NONE OF the 145 South Africans arrested last week
on vague allegations of treason have yet had precise charges formulated against them (and indeed are unlikely to do so until after P4 l preliminary hearing is over), it is difficult to know whether litc j arrests have a more substantial basis than a desire to get of political opponents—a very civilised equivalent of sending Hungarians to Siberia. The South African Government have discovered a dangerous plot; but as, according to Swart, the Minister of Justice, the arrests are the sequel to raid carried out last year, this seems improbable. The Crimine Procedure and Jurors' Amendment Act of 1954 give tht Minister of Justice power to set up a special criminal ale without a jury to try any political offence which he directs' If Mr. Swart uses this convenient procedure, it will be interest!: ing to see which judges he chooses. I would tip two from the Transvaal Division of the Supreme Court—Mr. Justice Brestet and Mr. Justice Ludorf.
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