THESEGREGATIONERA
decided to break its agreement arid replace some of the highly paid white
workers with Africans. The Whites went on strike in January, and the
impasse continued until March. Miners formed armed commandos, one of
which used the slogan, "Workers of the World Unite, and Fight for a White
South Africa." Smuts eventually came down heavily on the side of the
owners, declaring martial law and deploying military aircraft, artillery,
tanks, armored cars, and machine guns. When the dust settled, 687 people
were injured and 153 were dead-s-a of them executed. For the South
African party, the political costs were high. Hertzog's Nationalists formed
an electoral pact with the Labour party and won the general election of
19 2 4.15
Between 1924 and 1933 the Hertzog administration passed more legis-
lation in favor of the white population, especially of the Afrikaners, and
acquired greater economic and political autonomy for South Africa. It
made further capital available to white farmers through the Land Bank and
through marketing controls and guaranteed prices for farm produce. It
created a state corporation for the manufacture of steel. It protected white
industrial workers from black competition and enfranchised white (but