conflict between the men of Durban and your passengers which will most assuredly happen if they attempt to land. As your passengers are ignorant of the state of feeling, and have come here in ignorance, and we have it from the Attorney-General that if your people are willing to return to India, the Colony will pay the expense. We shall, therefore, be glad to receive and answer from you before the ship comes alongside the wharf, whether the passengers elect to return to India at the Colony’s expense, or to endeavour to force a landing against the thousands of men who are ready and waiting to oppose their landing. (App. Aa.)
The masters of both the vessels, on learning that there was an intense feeling against the landing of the passengers, that the Government were in sympathy with the agitation, and that they practically failed to assure protection to passengers, and that the Demonstration Committee practically represented the Government (as would appear from the Committee’s letter to the master of the Courland, from their unrestricted interference with the passengers on board the s.s. Greek, of the Union Steam Ship Company’s fleet, which arrived on 11th January from Delagoa Bay with some Indian passengers, from the acquiescence of the Port officials in their conduct, as also from the willingness of the Union Steam Ship Company’s management to “obey the orders” of the Committee, etc.), naturally became anxious about the safety of their charge and were induced to parley with the Committee. Consequently, they went ashore on the evening of 11th January, and held consultations with the Demonstration Committee, in the course of which a document was drawn up by the Committee for signature of the captains (App. Wa), which, however, they could not sign, and the negotiations thus fell through.
It might be as well to examine the position of the committee at the time immediately preceding the Demonstration. One of the spokesmen of the Committee, Dr. Mackenzie, observed:
- “Their position was the same as at first, viz., that none of the Indians were to land” (Applause).
Another member of the Committee, Captain Wylie, in the course of a speech, in response to “Where is Gandhi?”, said:
- “Where they hoped he would remain. ‘Had they’ (deputation sent by the Committee to the steamers) ‘seen him?’ No. The Captain of the Courland had treated Gandhi as he treated the other passengers. (Applause.) He knew their opinion regarding him.
