BRITISH AFRICAN TERRITORIES

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27764, 15 September 1955, Page 11

BRITISH AFRICAN TERRITORIES

Strydom To Seek Incorporation

(N.Z. Press (Rec. 11 p m.) BLOEMFONTEIN, September 14. The Prime Minister (Mr Strydom) said last night that his Government could not and would not abandon the question of incorporating the British South African protectorates into the union. He said the British Government and Parliament, which passed the 1909 South Africa Act, had envisaged the eventual incorporation of the protec- — Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland—into the Union. Mr Strydom said the territories, if incorporated, would be given the “same sympathetic treatment which has always been accorded African territories in the Union.”

The Prime Minister, who was opening the Orange Free State congress of the ruling National Party, was referring to a motion on the agenda calling for sanctions to bring about the incorporation of the territories. He said such action would be quite out of place and ill-advised. The South African and British Governments were friendly and there could be no question of hostile or unfriendly action. x The motion, submitted by a local branch of the party, said the Union Government should consider imoosina export duty on all food exported to the three protectorates if a satisfactory agreement for incorporation was not reached with Britain.