SOUTH AFRICA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17986, 1 February 1924, Page 13

SOUTH AFRICA.

POLITICAL DIFFERENCES. IMPER 1A L CONFEREN(' K STANDING. OPE 'IOWN', .l;:nu;.rv i■ • - 1. ■ ~iM.r iv .\s--:n"'. iy. l: ' ,; Ld.-our f., ad': r. .Mr -I. t ; : ■ liiu'. " :1 : i.i ih" . yronn'-cs v,hy •" ,;> '■;-un:.::u at the Ln.-vi'ial t.' iir.jw.ic ji>» ..:!■!! -.i-ions »n theIT J ; , . u:- ,>j\'i'. i.l by lis I'arl i:i !;:< ni . ;r.fi ;l>,r. !!:!• ~" s^nifrom •'>' • put t'->nv;.ni i.»v ilio Pnr istor in a jmbhc sr-.wli on r)c-i.;ni! I-I,''. •Mr IV.'ii'. c!! .'!• < iarod thai a - in Unit, r hallrnged v. hat he aiw::>v. con.-iiicfinl ai> uii.«u> m I>. > ~ 111; >: i. II- ;lr J;, (Jei.vral .-nnus to admit his en or. Ucuerai replying, vunipl.ii"'" l ol ail attcnini to nia.n!!fact aro pat'i> capiuil. | t ;wing is* " t ' ic ■lmperial Omfcrciit •:'s. r< [><>n. i" |,!l•..diVat, thai- its cor.cl asion 3 wore subject In tlio action of die Governments and Parliaments of tho 'various parts <"■ i t!' ; - Einpire. UtniT.nl >muis stated that tins iuis inserted ::t ■.is intiance. and I'pado the constitutional p.-atiou porto-.-tly plain, lu tlio JolutnnCi'iHirg speech ho took tho i.-)ii.';tHi:r,ion;.\l i.(*sihon Ji»<" granted, and merely staled his * lews regarding Iho <;reat disaster in I ho owiii, of the Conference's worK being losl . General said Jiis whole. argument was to make the. British Parliament roaliso tho irravity of the situation fruin the viewpoint of stalesmaitship and expediency, and hi.-. speech was addressed to tlio people of Great Britain. JNTr Bruce, the Australian Prime Minister, had taken. an oveti moro serious vio\r of tho situation than' liimself.

Uoneral Smuts expressed pleasure that Air .Ramsay MaeDonald ]iad dcoided U> rol'er tho resolutions to (lio British I'arlianieii t, and deelared that lio still felt strongly that tho preference resolution should be. carried. Ho suggest-cd that Mr Creswell should withdraw tho motion on tho lirsfc portion ol : which all were agreed, while tho second was founded on a misunderstanding. A division would give tho British peoplo tho impression Uiao South African opinion was divided on the question of preference, thereby rendering a groat disservice to l&outh Africa.

Mr Hert-zog (Leader of tho Nationalisfc Party) condemned General Smuts's uso of the word "must" in the Johannesburg speech. He contended that General Smuts had evaded the point and taken up an .attitude weakening South Africa's constitutional position, and suggesting that Iho Prime. Ministers would ono day regard themselves as responsible to the .Imperial Conference instead of to their own Parliaments. Mr Ores well declined to withdraw the motion, which, was negatived by 61 votes to 51.