BITTER SPEECHES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 June 1927, Page 11

BITTER SPEECHES

LATE EDITION

SOUTH AFRICA’S FLAG DISPUTE FLYING THE UNION JACK. A LABOUR PROPOSITION. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYBIGHT. Received 12.20 p.m. to-day. CAPETOWN, June 21. After a day of bitter speeches on flic Union’s dug problem, t-lie Prime Minisfter. (Air. Hertzog) declared that it was useless to expect the Opposition to compromise. He declared thiat he would withdraw the clause providing for a Speaker’s conference in August, and put tlie Rill through with ho further waste of time. General Smuts said the Prime Minister was no patriot'. In a moving passage lie declared, that he was chained to the devil of- the Nationalist Party, who came out at testing time. A development of the controversy is an amendment by the Labour wing proposing to remove the restrictions on the flying of the Union Jack on a few specific occasions, and to provide for its being flown officially all the year along with the new domestic flag. The Government is believed to- be prepared to (accept the amendment as a concession to its Labour allies. General Smuts declared 1 that the Government’s latest flag was a transparent fraud. The country would not diddled in this way in a matter the deepest .sentiments of the people.