HEALTH WAS POOR FOR SOME TIME.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 29 August 1919, Page 7

HEALTH WAS POOR FOR SOME TIME.

A PEACEFUL, PASSING. \ CAPETOWN, Aug. 28. General Botha's symptoms for some time past had been causing anxietv, apart from the fact" of periodical attacks of weakness, for a year's work in Europe had exhausted him. The voyage to Africa was marled bv ominous incidents. On the day of landing lie was very weak and' intimate friends marvelled that he was able to bear the strain* of tne public reception. Nevertheless tho full seriousness of the position was not realised

At 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon General Botha fell into a gentle sleep, from which, there was no awakening and the end was absolutely peaceful. It is unders-tood that constitutionally Cabinet ceases to exist on the death of the Premier. The Governor-General, who has broken his journey to come to Pretoria, will nominate a successor. A State funeral will take place on Saturday. Newsjof General Botha's death Has caused universal grief. No statesman was more generally liked.