WHITE MAN AMONG BLACKS
SIR,—The suggestion made by the Acting High Commissioner for South Africa, in reply to my letter to you of March 8th, that the case against the Rev. Michael Scott was adjourned at the request of the Crown and had nothing to do with 'the outbreak of smallpox, is not borne out by the South African Press. The yohannesburg Star, reporting the case on February 13th, said: "On the application of the Defence the hearing was adjourned to March 3rd. Mr. Scott told the magistrate that the reason for applying for the adjournment was that there was a very serious outbreak of smallpox, and not very much order was being maintained."
When I wrote to you I was calling attention to the situation produced by what seemed to me an unjust law. The suggestion in the letter of the Acting High Commissioner that when the prosecution was brought there was some doubt as to whether the shanty town was within an urban area and, therefore, the law in question was not valid, makes the case much more shocking. I understand that Scott has now been sentenced to a fine of £5 or fourteen days' hard labour, but the sentence has been suspended for a year on condition of his not being convicted again during
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