HELP ASSURED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23431, 22 August 1939, Page 13

HELP ASSURED

SOUTH AFRICA POLICY LOYALTY TO BRITAIN CONSCRIPTION POSSIBILITY There can be no doubt about the attitude of the T. 11 ion of South Africa in an Empire emergency, according to Mr. Robert Howden, who passed through Auckland by the Monterey yesterday on his way to Washington to represent the I nion Government at the loth international congress of architects. The Union Government, he said, would support Great Britain through thick and thin. To appreciate the conflict of opinion in the Union, said Mr. Howden, it was necessary 'to realise that, of its 10,000,000 inhabitants, 2,000,000 were white people and 8.000,000 were natives. Of the whites, 57 per cent were Dutch and 34 per cent English, the remainder being foreigners. It could be seen, therefore, that the Dutch, or Afrikaans, were sufficient in number to Tide the country. However, because the reasonable type of Dutchman joined with the English in their political views, the Union was able to have a Government representing a moderate viewpoint. Home Defence There were still, of course, the extreme Afrikaans. They had always been there and always would be there, and wero very actively anti-British in their opinions and actions. They wanted a Republic, but there seemed to bo no reason why they would ever achieve a majority vote.

x\s a result, the Parliament now represented the level-headed section of the people. They were attached firmly to Great Britain and there was no doubt that if Britain was forced into war South Africa would help her. Both the English and Dutch sections of the people represented by Parliament would take this action. Mr. Howden also expressed considerable admiration for the Dutchmen in,the Government. There were undoubtedly some very brilliant men among them. Speaking of the Union's home defence effort, Mr. Howden said the Government was very active in its preparations. The necessity was realised and the Government was facing it very efficiently. Mr. Howden's personal opinion was that conscription would ultimately be brought into operation in the Union. . Distinguished Career Mr. Howden is an Australian by birth who went to South Africa about 50 years ago. He has established himself as a leading architect and was instrumental in obtaining statutory qualification for architects, the Union being the fir.st country in the British Empire, he said, to have registration of architects. Mr. Howden was the first president in chief of the South African Institute of Architects, which he is also representing at the Washington conference. In recognition of his work for the profession. a scholarship in his name was founded at the South African' Univcrsitv.