HEALING THE WORLD

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 6 August 1919, Page 5

HEALING THE WORLD

GENERAL SMUTS' VIEWS

PRAISE FOR BRITISH SOUTH AFRICAN POLICY.

BY CABLE--PRESS ABSOniATTON-COPYRIGH* CAPETOWN, Aug. 4. General Smuts, who has returned, met with a great reception. He appealed to all races that they had been comrades in arms and should now be brothers. Referring to conditions in Europe, General Smuts said there was a danger of the organism of civilisation bemg destroyed. He and General Botha themselves had been under the harrow. That was why they had pleaded with their colleagues that a new spirit should be shown to the Old World. On that they took their stand. It was impossible to restore desolate Europe and recreate a newworld unless there was a more magnanimous spirit among the nations. The Peace Treaty contained many provisions which would not help forward the healing process. Hence his plea, which had been so much criticised.

He referred to the British policy in South Africa after the Boer war as illustrating the soundness of his argument. He felt this was the only way to deal with a broken country and a broken world. This could only*be done by bringing the broken family of Europe into the League of Nations. Naturally everyone had a doubt, but they had seen what the old system was. A new link was necessary in the development of the human government. That link seemed to be the League of Nations.

The time had come when we must look beyond our own country for development and larger vision. Referring to the charge of the Nationalists that he was going to give away the rights of South Africa, General Smuts said he had always preached that the British Empire was a league of States. The Empire could only endure upon one basis—as a league of free, equal, and independent States. The idea of Imperial Federalism was unworkable, and would lead to a break-up of the Empire, but it had the greatest future as a league of free nationals co-operating in all matters of defence and taking counsel together on matters of foreign policy.