Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1938 TWO VOICES FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 7 November 1938, Page 6

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1938 TWO VOICES FROM SOUTH AFRICA

TWO cablegrams which are of importance to the whole Empire j came from South Africa last week. The first was from BloemI fontein, and was dated 4th Noj vember. It was a precis of a ; speech by General Smuts, whose loyalty to the British Commonwealth of Nations is well known. It read, “A spirit of lawlessness permeates the world, and what happened in Europe is a warning that South Africa must put her house in order,” and he added that he and lis fellow-countrymen would hold what they possess, and would not allow “any enemy to pluck South Africa as a ripe fruit.” T he great soldier-states-man in voicing such sentiments is expressing the spirit of independence and freedom which brought success to South Africa, whose political status under the British flag gives it a protection and safety which it could not otherwise enjoy. It will be recalled that during the Great War an armed force of South Africans advanced across the Kalahari Desert, and took possession of German South-West Africa, which was subsequently incorporated in the Union of South Africa. It contained an appreciable German

population, a portion of which subsequently migrated to Germany, but the remainder includes a faction which still appears to entertain the idea that by some means or other Germany’s ownership of the country may be restored, and to that end a number of Germans in South-West Africa i are working assiduously. To them General Smuts's w r ords should be a warning, since what South ! Africa did once, South Africa can do again, and it is difficult to see what assistance the Germans in South-West Africa could receive if they were to defy British sovereignty. Furthermore, the South Africans as a race are jealous of the political unity of the component parts of their country (to which South-West Africa belongs) and they have no wish to see a powerful nation of the European Continent establish itself in close proximity to the | States of the Union which are warm in their allegiance to the British Throne. There is no doubt : that General Smuts speaks for a large proportion of the white inhabitants of South Africa, but perhaps not for all; therefore the remarks of Mr te Water, South African High Commissioner in London, may be noted. A wellknown London journal recently stated, “on high authority that South Africa informed Britain during the crisis” (over Czechoslovakia) “of her intention to remain neutral as long as possible in the event of a European war.” It was intimated that this decision was conveyed to the British Government by the South African High Commissioner in London. But, if so, that official must have been under a delusion, because South Africa is a part of the King’s Dominions, and if the King is at war all his Dominions are at war. It would not be possible for one of the Dominions to hold aloof when all of the other Dominions (including Britain) were at war. All of them would be involved; if not actively at least in a passive sense, and among them South Africa, whose ocean-going commerce would be liable to be attacked. Moreover, in such an emergency, for the Government of that country to possess immunity from such attack it would be necessary for South Africa to cease to be under the rule of the King, and for it to throw off its allegiance would be an action which would immediately awaken the resentment of Britain and the Dominions, whose conjoint effort would be directed towards upholding the King’s prestige and authority. When Mr te Water said that “in view of South Africa’s neutrality” (in the event of a European war in which Britain was involved) “asylum would be given to ships of all Powers, even if they were enemies of Britain, at all South African ports except Simon’s Town which is a British naval base,” he was making a statement which is without strength, since the whole of South Africa (including all its oorts) is a portion of the King’s Dominions, a fact which was settled nearly forty years ago, and was plainly affirmed in the fateful 'years 1914-18. So that what General Smuts says is upheld.