The Hawera Star. MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1924. SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 June 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1924. SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

Delivered ©very evening by 5 o’clock in Hawera, Manaia, Norman by, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho * Manutahi, Alton, Darleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Wbakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Boad, and Ararata.

The results of the elections in South Africa have produced another position of uncertainty, as seems likely- to happen when more than two parties are in the field. The defeat of General Smuts by a Labour candidate is the most surprising of the changes, and may mark the end of his political career. The ex-Premier has been a great Empire-builder, and his services to the nation should be remembered for many years to come. He succeeded to the Premiership in 1919 upon the death of General Botha, and he soon proved himself to be a leader of strong character and personality. Ilis work on Imperial Conferences, in connection with a peaceful solution of the Irish question, and his efforts to help in bringing about better international relationships showed that, in peace as well as in war, General Smuts had the interests of the great British Empire at heart. During the Boer war he was an enemy; since those days he has been a. faithful soldier and servant of the Empire, and has done much to help South Africa to develop as a very important part of that Empire. But in these times, when electors do not give proper thought to such matters, and when uneasiness and discontent are widespread, political leaders have to be prepared for sudden changes of opinion on the part of the electors, who as a rule do not look far afield, but may support or oppose a political candidate on questions of minor importance. ■As an American once said, people in these days are in danger of watching the side-shows while the elephants pass by. The work of Empire-wide importance which General Smuts has done has probably been, given scant thought by the electors, who succeeded in bringing about 1113 defeat in favour of a Labour candidate, who may never again be heard of outside of South Africa, except when the results of elections are recorded. The position which has arisen in South Africa is not satisfactory, for a combined vote of any two of the three parties will be sufficient to defeat the third party. Stable government, unless a. coalition or arrangement of some kind is made, will be impossible, and the party holding power will do so only at the will of the parties in opposition. It is too early to state with certainty what will happen when Mr. Ilertzog becomes Premier, but the Republican issue is not likely to be raised, as at a, conference between the Nationalists and the Labour Party some months ago the former agreed to drop the republican plank from their platform, and Labour agreed to revise

its programme* eliminating certain Socialist portions. Mr. Hertzog’s statement published to-day is also reassuring on this point. Probably the Nationalists and Labour will come to an arrangement to carry on the government of the country, but it is hard to think that they will show such keenness in Imperial affairs and Empire unity as displayed by the party which has been defeated. The nation needs unity more than ever to enable it to carry out its mission in the world, and it is to be hoped that both Mr Hertzog and Mr Cresswell, with their respective parties, will learn, as Mr Ramsay MacDonald and his party in England have learned, that the British Empire is far greater than any part of it, and the person who is entrusted with the task of governing any one part soon finds that his responsibilities extend far beyond his own country. Such a realisation makes theorists pause and consider well the need for great care in making vital alterations to affairs as they find them on taking office. No doubt Mr Hertzog’s experience will be similar to that of others who, when out of office, talked lightly of how they would change this or that, when they were placed in power but who find when in office that it is not such an easy matter as it looks.