SOUTH AFRICA'S FUTURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18710, 16 May 1924, Page 9

SOUTH AFRICA'S FUTURE.

ELECTION PLATFORMS.

SECESSION FROM' BRITAIN.

PLANK OF NATIONALISTS.

THEIR PACT WITH LABOUR.

GENERAL SMUTS' ATTACK.

By TelegraphPress 1 Association—Copyright (Received 8.55 p.m.) Renter. CAPETOWN. May 14 In an election speech at Johannesburg, General Smuts, Prime Minister, severely criticised the Nationalist Labour pact and its policy, which he described as vague and nebulous.' He particularly denounced the proposal of Mr. T. Roos, Nationalist leader in the Transvaal, for a State bank, which, he said, would lead to the evils of inflation.

General Smuts also referred to the delicate position on the Rand. •' He said he was very much afraid that if the pact came into office there would be a tremendous dislocation in all directions. They would have strikes and other situations which they had had to face in South Africa before.

The mine-owners in the Rand had given a promise to which he would hold them. This was that if the low-grade mines were given a chance there would be such further development that every man displaced would be employed again. That promise could only be carried out under settled conditions and security. If, as General Hertzog, the leader of the Nationalists, had said, there was to be further taxation of the mines there would be no further development. Appeal to the Electors. The Prime Minister called on the'electors to give their vote for security, confidence, the restoration of credit and the investment of further capital. If they would do that he would make it his duty to carry out the promises he had given.

Continuing, General Smuts said that if the leader of the Labour Party, Colonel Cresswell, had stood firm, he might have killed the secession movement, but he had only left the question in abeyance for a few years, after which it might burst out again. If the undertaking included a pact that secession would not be pressed on the, people of the country until the English people were also in favour of it, he (General Smuts) would have nothing further tosay about secession. But if Colonel Cresswell and General Hertzog attempted so to amend the pact, Mr. Roos and his commandos would at once secede from the Nationalist Party, because they were out for secession. '

fto Republic for Five Years. General Kemp, an ex-rebel, who is generally regarded as the prospective Minister for Defence in the event of the. Nationalists being returned, speaking at. Bethel, said that no principles were given up in the pact. It included a promise not to declare South Africa a , republic' within the next five years. Propaganda could be made use of freely at all times.

Asked whether the Nationalists were the secessionist party, General Kemp said that they were the idealist party, who would make South Africa independent as soon as the majority declared in favour of such a step. If Britain refused South Africa could do as she liked. The Gover-nor-General could not refuse signature to such an act. If he did they would simply declare themselves independent, and maintain their action with guns if necessary.

Dr. Malan, leader of the Nationalists in the Cape of Good Hope province, speaking at Galvania, said if General Hertzog became Premier he would give, coloured people the same privileges in the other provinces as they enjoyed in the Cape.

• The Nationalist Labour "Pact" in South Africa is determined on General Smuts' defeat by any and every means, said a writer in a London paper recently. At the recent Labour Party Conference one speaker tersely voiced the prevailing sentiment. He said, in effect: "As a working scheme for future needs I have no use for the pact; I have no illusions about it; but it is primarily and principally for bringing about the downfall of the Smuts Government. For that purpose it is useful, and that is why I will support it." The Labour Party is willing to keep ' "Socialism" in the background, and the Nationalists will oblige by refraining from raising the "Republican" issue. They will pose before the country as the only true "National" party, which will restore its finances and relieve its unemployment.