NO NAVAL BASE AT CAPE TOWN

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 221, 15 June 1936, Page 9

NO NAVAL BASE AT CAPE TOWN

South Africa Will Refuse

Capo Town, June 12. The Acting-Minister of Defence stated that South Africa did not Intend to allow Cape Town to be used as a British naval base.

According to a London cable published on Thursday the “Daily Telegraph’s” nava! correspondent reported that the question of Cape Town ae a possible base for a British battle fleet was already receiving official consideration. Since August a considerable portion of the traffic which normally passed through the Suez Canal had been diverted to the Cape route, enabling naval and shipping authorities to gain valuable experience, especially regarding the bunkering and port facilities needed if the whole of the Laetern traffic had in certain contingencies to be diverted via the Cape. It was reported from Cape Town on March 14 that the decision had been made <o intensively fortify Robben Island, which was part of the scheme to make Table Bay a second Singapore. The heavy guno at Lion’s Head could not be fired, as a full charge would blow the closelyinhabited seapoint to pieces. The Table Bay works were being developed at a cost of £10,000,000 so as to enable vessels of the heaviest tonnage to dock. It was believed that it was the intention of the Government to proceed- with a big equipment scheme whereby Table Bay would supersede Simon’s Town as a naval port. Robben Island was formely a leper settlement and had since been unoccupied except by lighthouse-keepers. BRITAIN SURPRISED Statement by Hertzog on Native Protectorates (Received June 14. 6.30 p.in.) London, June 13. The “Morning Post’s” political correspondent says that Government circles are surprised by an announcement of General Hertzog, Prime Minister of South Africa, that the Union would probably take over the administration of Swaziland in two years' time and of Basutoland and Bechnanalar.d soon after.

It was emphatically pointed out that there was no warrant for any such assumption, as the two principal conditions of transfer I'.ld down in the South Africa Act still remain to be fulfilled —namely, a transfer shall occur only with t lie consent of the native populations of the protectorates and the consent of JParl lament.