APARTHEID DISPUTE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29467, 20 March 1961, Page 15

APARTHEID DISPUTE

“Issue Raised By Verwoerd” OTTAWA, March 18. Reporting on the Commonwealth Prime Ministers’ meeting, the Canadian Prime Minister (Mr ijiefenbaker) told the Canadian House of Commons last night that the South African Prime Minister (Dr. Verwoerd) himself had raised the apartheid issue in London. Thus, he indicated that the South African incident had not set a precedent for future withdrawals based on criticism of national policies, the Canadian Press said. “All of us agreed that no national policy of any country should be examined or considered without the consent of that country.” Mr Diefenbaker said. Mr Diefenbaker said later that as far as Canada was concerned South Africa could always return to the Commonwealth if she agreed to a basic principle of nondiscrimination. “My fervent hope is that South Africa will return to the Commonwealth in due course, he said. “For such a return there will always be a light in the Commonwealth window.” He told the banquet of the Progressive Conservative Association’s annual meeting m Ottawa that the Commonwealth could not survive if it could not agree on “a strong principle.” The principle was non-discrimination, to which South Africa could not agree, he said.