Before the Supreme Court of the Transvaal at Pretoria on
Wednesday application was made for an order to restrain the Government from deporting the Labour leaders, but Mr. Justice Weasels declared that the information was insufficient to entitle him to act. The Court could not assume that the Government were going to kidnap citizens and send them away except by virtue of some Act of Parliament. He was unable to act upon mere rumour. It is not our business to pro- nounce judgment on General Botha's action, especially as we do not knoW the facts, but no doubt we shall obtain a full statement of his case when he goes to Parliament for his Act of Indemnity. We may point out, however, that even if he fails to show that his action was justified, no case will arise for interference from London with the Govern- ment of the Union. The right of self-government conceded to a community necessarily involves the right to do wrong as well as to do right. Otherwise the alleged freedom will be a sham. To say to a man or a nation, "Yon are perfectly free to do anything of which we approve," is the merest mockery.
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