§ MR. MOND (Chester)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to the fact that the British troops in Johannesburg were called out several times during last week; and whether he can state the circumstances for which their services were employed.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe latest official information at my disposal is that the Infantry have been withdrawn, but that 800 mounted troops remain to support the police. I have no information yet as to the occurrences of last week.
§ MR. MONDI beg to ask the Under- Secretary of State for the Colonies whether on the Rand a police officer with-out any civil intervention can call upon the British troops to fire upon an assembly of more than six persons, after having commanded them three times to disperse; and whether he will draw the attention of the Transvaal Government to the fact that such practice is not in accordance with the law in Great Britain, and that His Majesty's Government cannot agree to the use of British troops under such circumstances.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI do not think that the law is correctly stated in the Question. Responsibility for firing must, as I understand, still rest with the officer commanding the troops as it does in this country.