AFRICAN SECESSIONISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 114, 15 May 1924, Page 5

AFRICAN SECESSIONISTS.

NATIONALIST LABOUR PACT.

PROPAGANDA TO CONTINUE.

A FIVE YEAR CAMPAIGN.

(By Cahle.-Press Association.—Copyright.)

(Received 1.30 p.m.) CAPETOWN, May 14. General J. C. Smuts, speaking»at Johannesburg, said that if he had stood firm, Major Cresswell might have killed the secession movement, but had only left the question in abeyance for a few years, after which it might burst out again. If the undertaking included a pact that secession would not be pressed on the people of the country until the English people were also in favour of it, be (General Smuts would have nothing further to say about secession, but if Major Cresswell and General Herzog attempted so to amend the pact, Tiel-man-Roos and hie commandos would at once secede from the Nationalist party, because they were out for secession.

General Kemp, an ex-rebel, who is generally regarded as Minister of Defence designate in the event of the Ivaationalists being returned, speaking at Bethel, in the Transvaal, said that no principles were given, up in the pact, but only a promise not to declare South Africa a republic within the next five"years. Propaganda could be made use of freely at all times. Asked whether the Nationalists were the secessionist party, General Kemp said that they were the idealist party who would make South Afrcia independent as soon as the majority declared in, favour of such a step. If England refused she could do as she liked. The Governor-General could not refuse signature to such an act; if he did they would simply declare themselves independent, and maintain their action with guns if necessary.—(Reuter.)