PEOPLE UNDER MANDATE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 24, 29 January 1924, Page 5

PEOPLE UNDER MANDATE

BECOME CITIZENS OF UNION

GENEROUS TEEMS TO GERMANS.

(UNITED TRESS ASSOCIATION,— COPYRIGHT.) CACSTRALIAft-NEW ZEALAND CABLB ASSOCIATIOK.) (Received 29th January, noon.), CAPETOWN, 28th January. I An important step in the future of the Mandated Territory of the South West Protectorate, was marked by the issue of a memorandum giving the re-sults-of a conference in\London between General. Smuts and representatives of the German Reich, at which an agreement was reached, under which German Nationals automatically become citizens of the South African Union with the same privileges and responsibilities ,as other' citizens. Every facility will be given for the free use of the German language, and Germans and their children will not be liable to military service against the German Reich for a period of thirty years. ', ■ The German' Government undertook Jo recommend. the acceptance of the conditions.' At a later conference held at Cape; town between General Smuts and a deputation, representative of the German South-West Protectorate, the Premier explained the position. He stated that the Union Government was desirous of doing its utmost to carry out the agreement, which lie did not ask the deputation to ratify, because that was unnecessary^ but he asked them for help in advising Germans to adopt the course recommended by the German Government. The deputation replied that it had hoped to obtain a great deal' more than the agreement provided, and expressed a wish that the Territory should not be annexed as a fifth Province to the Union, but should be made a separate State with a Legislative Council, and the right to vote its own (Budget. The deputation was, however, of opinion that automatic naturalisation as citizens of the Union would not meet with serious opposition from the German population.