SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS.

Mataura Ensign, 3 July 1914, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS.

* SEPARATIST PARTY LAUNCHED. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH— COPYRIGHT. TIMES AND SYDNEY SON SERVICES. Received July ,'l, 8..'50 a.m CAPETOWN, July 2. General Hertzog has launched the Separatist Party which is opposed to the Government. IMPERIAL VIEWS CONDEMNED. Received July 9.10 a.m OAIPETOWN, July 2. General Hertzog in a speech, in the Union House of Assembly on. the occasion of the inauguration of the new National Party strongly cond-emned' General Botha's (Prime Minister) Imperial views, stating that the ultimate outcome would be to place South Africa on the basis of a Crown colony. General Botha's was a hylbrid party, "in 'nowise differing from the Unionists. In such matters as the land tax and the exemp-t-ion -of the Premier diamond mine from the income tax General Botha had acted under the capitalists' dictation. The year 1912 eoncuded with a Cabinet crisis resulting in the resignation of General Botha. The point of divergence was the oposite views of General Botha, and General Hertzog on the relations oi the white races and the C|ues-t-'on of naval defence in particular, which had-been given public expression to b<- both. In Irs own words General Hertzog considered "Imperialism important/to him only when it was useful to South Africa, and, when it was not serviceable, he had .respect for it from a distance, but as a South Al'ricdjv he had little to do with it ;and when it was contrary to the interests of South Africa he was a distinct enemv to Imperialism." The crisis w#<s hastened by the resignation of Colonel Leuchars (Minister for Public Works) simnly and solely 'because "he could not endure the anti-Im-perial and , anti-British sentiments and) speeches of General Hertzog," General Botha's resignation was accented by Lord Gladstone, who invited h : m to forift a new Administrat'on. General Botha reconstructed his Cabinet without General Hertzog. and declared his 'nolic-y" to be one of building up a united country on non-rac : al lines.'