COLONEL PRETORIUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19453, 8 October 1926, Page 14

COLONEL PRETORIUS.

A FORMER BOER SOLDIER.

NOW BRITAIN'S FIRM FRIEND. PART IN THE GREAT WAR, An interesting figure in Sontb African history, Colonel N. J. Pretorius, is accompanying the South African delegation to the Empire Parliamentary Association's gatherings, now being held in Australia. An adventurous history could be told by Colonel Pretorius, says the Sydney Morning Herald. Once this fine soldierly man, who has won the D.S.O. and other orders, was a bitter enemy of Britain. During tho Boor War he fought against Britain under General Botha to the last day. He was wounded, bnt when the war ended he decided that he would do his utmost in cooperation with tho British to make South Africa a. great country. Since then he has been Britain's firm friend and he has fought just as hard for her cause. Colonel Pretorius took an active, part in suppressing tho rebellion of 1914-15, and when that had ended he took 2000 men of the Active Citizen Forces to German West Africa. He wanted to go to German East Africa, too, but he had been elected to Parliament and his Parliamentary party duties called him. Nowadays his energies are directed to abolishing racial feeling in the Union of South Africa, and to making it a great country. He is enthusiastic over the mission of the Empire Parliamentary Association, and the St"nth African Party, to which he belongs, has always, he states, been in favour of improving friendly relations between the Dominions.

"We are all one great nation," Colonel Pretorius states, "and must do everything to help one another. I have come to Australia to learn chiefly about your fanning, your industrial conditions and tho co-operative movement, and I hope to go back equipped with information. I have been in Australia only two days, but I have seen some most beautiful country. I am a, farmer myself." Colonel Pretorius is also interested in industrial questions, because in the Transvaal, where he has his home, the labour is mostly that of coloured peoples. "With a native population of more than soven millions, the Union to-day naturally has a very difficult problem to solve," he said. "There has never been, ono might say, a failure to solve the problem, but we have not yet come to tho point. During next session there will probably bo several bills on this subject. They, however, will deal only with some of the most, intricate points. The problem, as a whole, will lie, unsolved.

"I am proud for Australia that she has her great, White Australia policy. We in South Africa, however, have great numbers of natives and we. must keep them. The coloured problem is really a problem for Cape Colony. In the Transvaal, the Freo State and 'Natal, they have coloured peoplps, but they treat them as natives. In Cape Colony, on the other hand, they have been given certain rights." Following the decision of the delegates not to deal with controversial questions in Australia, Colonel Pretorius, when interviewed, would make few references to the flag question which has been agitating the Union. He admitted, however, that feeling had become very acute on the matter. There was a larce section of the Union that, wanted a Union flag. The South African Party wanted the fiag to comprise the four colours—the Fierekleur —of the old republics, together with tho Union Jack. But the Ministry wanted the flag to consist only of the, four old republics. A committee was now engaged in endeavonrinp to settle the question, and if some solution was reached the issue would probablv be placed before tho people at a referendum.