SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17321, 6 December 1921, Page 9

SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS.

END OF BRITISH MILITARY COMMAND. SPEECH BY GENERAL SMUTS. (By Cable—Press Association— Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Oable Association.) CAPE TOWN, December 3. Spenking at n banquet at Pretoria to General C. H. P. Carter in connexion with the handing over of the military command to the Union Government, General Smuts described Prince Arthur of Connaught as the most popular Governor-General South Africa had ever had Prince Arthur, replying, said the; handing over of the command was evidence of the mutual lonfidence existing between South Africa and the rest of the Empire. While regretting the ; severance of a tie which had lasted ; over a century be recognised that the j change was an event > of inestimable importance in the Union's history. General J. C. Smuts, Prime Minister of South. Africa, in proposing the health of General Carter, said hia departure closed a great chapter, and marked the climax of a great story, in whioh the British Army had played a great and heroic part. The British officers in the great war were mostly trained in the South African school. The present step had been taken because a fundamental change had come over South Africa. The country was not only united under one strong Government, 'but the races were united in an everlasting, indissoluble pact of peace and friendship. The great word "reconciliation" was written over all the differences of the past. South Africa had reached its majority as a nation. The change was being made in perfect good faith on both sides. The British Got eminent had dealt most generously with South Africa. It had given the Union air equipment worth £1,500,000, and military lands and buildings worth over £1,000,000 as a mark of goodwill and perfect trust, and asked nothing in return. Thore was onjy one stipulation—that Simon's Town, the great naval base, should be adequately defended on the land side. ' The army had passed away, but the navy remained their bulwark. If the Washington Conference proposals were accepted, the British Navy would still remain, as in the past the most powerful navy in the world. South Africa and the other Dominions- could then proceed with tha great task of peaceful development without fear of external danger. Such security was a peculiur advantage in a world full of inflammable material. The Union would have to be the bulwark of civilisation in South Africa and, in a modest but real sense, it accepted the responsibility. General Carter, replying, said the Union Government knew what was best for the country, and the army could leave with a feeling of the.utmost fidencaBULLHOEK TRAGEDV RINGLEADERS SENTENCED. CAPE TOWN, December 3. The hearing has been completed at Queenstown, after lasting eight days, of the case in which Enoch, the "prophet" of the fanatical religious seot known as the Israelites, was charged with sedition along with 130 of his followers, whose resistance to the authorities led to the serious affray and heavy loss of life at Bullhoek in May last. All were found guilty. Enoch and two other ringleaders were sentenced to six years' imprisonment, thirty office-bearers to three years', and members of the rank and file to eighteen months' each, while old men and boys who took part received two years' suspended sentence. The judge commented severely on the withdrawal of, the police when the trouble threatened. "It is unparalleled," he said, "in the history of our intercourse with the natives for a wellarmed body to retire before a badlyarmed crowd of natives." Such an action had an extremely bad effect, but he exonerated the police in view of their action when it was finally decided to compel the Israelites to obey authority. The judge declared that' Enooh had used religion as a cloak for a seditious movement against the whites. BAND MINE STRIKE ENDED. ■ CAPE TOWN, December 3. The Crown mine strikes at Johanneshur_£ have besa tattled, the anjpn at*

cepting-the Chamber of Mines' terms providing for the recognition of the principle that workmen's unions should not be represented by officials in disputers. A conference is being held to arrange future procedure.