SOUTH AFRICA

Evening Star, Issue 19697, 26 October 1927, Page 6

SOUTH AFRICA

THE FLAG CONTROVERSY

A SETTLEMENT EXPECT]',]). (British Official News.) Press Association—By Wireless—Copyright RUGBY, October 25. (Received October 26, at noon.) A settlement of the dispute regarding the design of tlie South African flag, 'which Ims caused keen controversy throughout the Union since the Flag Bill was first introduced in Parliament, ■will, it is expected, be announced by General llcrtacg to-day. The negotiations which, amivding to authoritative Press messages, hav* thus resulted in an agreement we-M O'agnn last Wednesday, and were conducted privately between General FieriKog and General Smuts, Leader ol the South African Party. THE NEW DESIGN. BIGGER UNION JACK. RUGBY, October 25. (Received October 2G, at 1 p.m.) The Nationalist and the South Alrican Party caucases in Cape Town have agreed to accept a. compromise over the Flag Bill, according to Press messages. The compromise provides that the Union Jack shall be specified in the Bill as the Imperial Flag of South Africa, and shall he llown on ships in all docks, on Parliament and Government buildings, and on such other places as may be desired by the Government from time lo time. Ihe new domestic Hag retains the three horizontal stripes of orange, white, and blue, but the shield widely appeared on the white stripe in the original design, and of which the Union Jack occupicsonly a quarter, is replaced by the Union Jack and the Transvaal Vicrklour appearing horizontally with the Orange Free State Vicrklour vertically between them, forming a cross. The Union Jack will be three times the. size that it was in the original design. Opponents protested that Ihe design did not give sufficient prominence to the Union Jack ami old Boer Republican flag. It is anticipated that 1 lie new’ design will satisfy all except the extremists.