NATIONALIST IDEAL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 114, 18 May 1925, Page 5

NATIONALIST IDEAL

SOUTH AFRICAN INDEPENDENCE

BRITAIN STILL THE CONQUEROR.

~* (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPIRIGHT.)

(REUTER'3 TELEGRAM.) ■■■ (Received 18th May, 10 a.m.) . CAPETOWN, 17th May. The Nationalist organ, "Ons Vaderlaud," referring to General Hertzog's statement in the House of Assembly on 28th April regarding secession, says it contends that there was no necessity to break the promise given to the Labourites when the pact of the two parties was made, not to raise the secession issue for five years. It points out thai, the Nationalists' struggle has- always been for the realisation of the ideal of absolute sovereign independence. It sees no necessity to describe Britain as "our.greatest enemy"; but it does not see why it should be referred to as "our best friend"—a phrase which causes pam to thousands of Afrikanders "to whom England remains tho conqueror of our nationhood and our sovereign independence. Wo wish to regain that independence, and we do not propose hiding our purpose."

During the Budget debate in the Assembly, General Hertzog said that personally he thought that so far as the Union of South Africa, was concerned secession would be a flagrant mistake and a national disaster if caused by one section—either the British or the Dutch —imposing its will on the other. He did not fear that secession would ariso so long as each section refrained from asserting its superiority or dominance over the other, and he urged that no attempt should be made by either section to use the British connection to establish such a superiority.