I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that General Botha has not seen his way to the carrying out of his promise to modify the regulations and soften the rigour of the Asiatic Registration Act, the Secretary of State will suggest that compensation be paid, out of the proceeds of the guaranteed loan, to those Indian merchants who may be willing to retire from the Transvaal rather than undergo the humiliations imposed by the Act.

The hon. Member will see by reference to page 9 of Paper 65 printed by order of the House of Lords that he does not quite correctly describe the attitude of General Botha. The Secretary of State has no official intimation that any Indian merchants propose to retire from the Transvaal, and in any case does not see his way to make the desired suggestion in view of the fact that he has already stated that he does not regard the matter of identification by finger prints as objectionable in itself and has not felt able to press the Transvaal Ministers further to reconsider their decision.

asked whether the Government had washed their hands of all responsibility in this matter and considered the effect which these regulations were likely to have on the loyal feeling of our subjects in India.

said that the Government were far from washing their hands of this question. The Government would do what they could from time to time with the resources at their disposal.

Would whites submit to the finger test?

Perhaps not.