IMPERIAL DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 111, 13 May 1935, Page 7

IMPERIAL DEFENCE

S., AFRICA'S ATTITUDE FEELING FOR CO-OPERATION BUT NO COMMITMENTS The" constitutional issues which still, unfortunately, divide political parties in South Africa arc closely related to the problems of national defence, says a - .writer.' in the "Manchester Guardian." Both the Malanites and the Dominion Party are, from different points of view, critical of the Government's, defence policy, and more especially of the attitude which it takes up towards Imperial: co-operation in de fence matters. Essentially that attitude differs .little .ftonvthst ot the Botha Government of 1914., The doctrines professed by members of the Fusion Cabinet bear a reTOarkable. similarity to those which determined South Africa's war activi--1 ties jin. those1 far-off days. They may be briefly summarised as follows:— The issue of. neutrality is. a false one, at best only' of academic interest A Dominion.-.^which endeavoured * to rentaiir "neutral" while the Mother Country' was at war could hardly have , any desire to remain within the Commonwealth at all. .Moreover.-there, is not guarantee that other countries would ' respect such a "neutrality." The issue''Of '■■ co-operation,' on-the 'other hand, isa.very real one, of considerable practical importance. ' CO-OPERATION. The extent .of the Union's active co-operation in the case of war involving the Commonwealth isa matter solely for the Union itself to decide. Definite commitments could not and v Would not be made hi advance; nor could any Union Government likely to attain office during the next quarter of a, century pledge; South Africa to active and open participation in a general scheme of Imperial defence. Active'participation in .war would be determined almost inevitably by bne or both'of two factors, both of Which operated, in 1914. The first is the strength, of sentiment and tradition among English-speaking South 'Africans. ,Th,e ' second »is the distinction drawn' by, many who 'have . not these sent'im'ehts or.that- tradition ■ between a war waged in Europe 'and one waged1 ion African soil. ' So strong,was 'the feeling, ot English * South Africans in 1914 that it wou)d have been' quite impossible for. the • Botha Government to told aloof from the war altogether, even had no fighting taken place in Africa The same conditions would have to' be ' faced 'by the Hertzog Government If war broke out tomorrow A complete refusal to participate would disrupt the .whole United Party from top to bottom. . With regard to war in Africa, Mr. Pirow in a recent speech, characteristically daring and indiscreet has been quite as emphatic as General Botha and General Smuts were In 1914. His tmwise references to a forthcoming war of colour do'not greatly affect the situation,, for the black man plays the same 'role in Mr Pirow's thought-life as did King Charles's head in that of Mr Dick. The participation ot South Africa can, however. in ; the nature of things, never,be^quite so full or wholehearted 'as that" of Dominions wholly British in race and. sentiment and in -urgent need of -Britain's naval protection,- -suc&was',' ot --''New Zealand. Such are the general tenets of the Fusion Government with regard to co-operation in Imperial defence. , 'DEFENCE OF SOUTH AFftlCA^- ' It, is;perhaps asvwell to pqjnt»out, ■that, pacifism is a negligible factor in S,outh Africa. Th^re is a reluctance, to engage* in or .tojsupport war.-but a dfcep-seated feelin|£that the State has th&Jight to .summon its citizens 46 military service, and that such a summons must be obeyed—a natural heritage for a community where, men have be.en'apt to be called up at short notice to i defend, their hearths and hordes against attacking,native tribes.* l Another interesting .v trait of • South African statesmen'"is their failure to realise'that in , the post-war world neutrality<of-the older type, so'far as pacts,and covenants can .doom it, is doomed. The issue of Imperial de-" fence is,-on the whole, discussed not only on .the lines popular in-'1914 but asv.if -the international situation were What it "was in. that fateful year. It does'not ■ seem as if the majority , of South Africans realise how profoundly large sections of English opinion have altered, in -their opinion concerning Iwan! of the old type. From the speeches of many of Dr. Malan's supporters i\ would appear as if England were still the England of Chatham and Beaconsfleld and the1 international developments .of the last fifteen years an idle dreamY But if war* should ever take place in which co-operation between South Africa and the Mother Country should be' important, it is as well to realise that much has been done to assimilate South African defence technically'to the standards required by England. ,Such is the case, for example, with the Air Force of South Africa, Which constitutes its most significant means, of waging war. From the naval point of view, co-operation is definitely provided for in the case of the naval base at- Simonstown. The defences of the Cape Peninsula have been overhauled and will shortly be completed. The. defences of Durban are to receive similar attention forthwith. Whilst for obvious reasons details cannot be given, both Admiral Sir Edward Evans and the Minister of Defence have publicly stated that the object ol the improvements has been to give the Navy safe bases. These bases might be of the utmost value to the Royal Navy in time of war. THE'NAVY. SSiHi? ?^ hand> tt must be conceded that there is no enthusiasm in South' Africa for large annual contributions to the Navy nor for the " gUP ot a Soutb African navy, and'there is some ground for the contention thai; the' Union is combining a dignified "sovereign independence" with a reliance on the naval protection of England—protection for which she is unwilling to pay. The permutations of politics in South Africa have made cooperation over Simonstown, which would have been a matter of course twenty years, ago, something of an extraordinary favour granted by a Government which will not commit itself to approval of co-operation as a general princiepl. 'The.land forces of the Union are being strengthened. The number of infantry battalions has been increased from twelve to twenty-four, while the number of-artillery batteries and auxiliary services has recently been increased. The defence forces of the Union under Mr. Pirow are larger and more efficient than under Colonel Cresswell. The general public in South Africa are, however, neither enthusiastic over nor specially interested in these valuable technical , and professional developments. The academic issue of "neutrality" arouses far more excitement. ■ Twenty thousand pounds of grain fell from the air recently over seven New Jersey counties, when eighteen aeroplanes participated in a gigantic bird-feeding scheme sponsored by a sportsmen's association.