OPPOSITION TO TITLES

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 130, 26 February 1925, Page 8

OPPOSITION TO TITLES

DEBATE IN SOUTH AFRICAN PARLIAMENT By Telegraph-—Press Association Copyright (Rec. February 25, 5.5 p.m.) Capetown, February 24. In the 'Union Assembly Mr. Batlow (Labour) moved that the House petition the King to refrain from conferring titles on his subjects domiciled in South Africa, j General Hertzog, the Premier, strongly supported the motion, declaring it desirable that the House come to an early decision, in view of the Prince of 'Wales’s visit. He urged that South Africans were opposed to class distinctions. Titles were chiefly given to wealthy men for political support. Sir Thomas Smartt (South African Party) declared that General Hertzog spoke only for a section. There were many Dutch and English who deplored this motion, as a step towards the severance of the sentimental bonds of the Empire. The motion, he contended, was most inopportune, in view of the Prince’s visit. Another ex-Minister, Colonel Reitz, a son of the ex-President of the Free State, 'deprecated what he feared was in the nature of an attempt to fo'st a quarrel on the Imperial Government. He declared that Paul Kruger had accepted foreign orders. Mr. Brown,r a member of the Opposition, moved that the scope of the petition be limited to hereditary titles, following the Canadian precedent. The debate was adjourned.—Reuter.