SOUTH AFRICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15333, 16 June 1910, Page 7

SOUTH AFRICA.

DUKE OF CONNAUGHT TO OPEN UNION PARLIAMENT. SPEECH BY MR BOTHA. THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received June 15, 11.20 p.m.) CAPE TOWN, June 15. South Africa has formally invited the Duke of Connaught to open tho Union Parliament. King George has assented. The Duchess of Connaught and Print's Patricia will accompany the Duke to South Africa. Tho elections will be held early in October, and Parliament will ho opened about November 4. The Duke and Duchess of Connaught will afterwards visit Rhodesia. Mr Botha, "in a speech at Pretoria, declared the Government policy. Ho said he hoped that tho old party organisations would ho dissolved and amalgamated into a great South African National Party for the promotion of the spirit of union, sympathetic treatment of the natives, encouragement of tho white population, prevention of Asiatic immigration, a broad educational policy acceptable to all, development of industries and mining, land settlement, encouragement of capital and tho opening of foreign markets. Ties with the Mother Country must bo strengthened. Ho appealed to all to prevent South Africa relapsing into nar-row-minedness. Anyono daring to call from death’s valley tho skeleton of the unhappy past would bo an onemy of South Africa, and a greater enemy of the Empire. While' appreciating Dr Jameson’s object in continuing the spirit of tho convention, experience had shown that a coalition was the weakest form of government. Many Englishmen and Dutch had requested him to stand for East Pretoria, where ho had resided sinco peace had been proclaimed, and he hoped that tho contest would bo friendly. Mr Botha received an ovation.