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Otago Daily Times, Issue 23505, 20 May 1938, Page 9

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SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS GOVERNMENT VICTORY ASSURED “TRIUMPH FOR COMMON SENSE" (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) CAPETOWN, May 19. (Received May 20, at 0.30 a.m.) Following the general election for the Union of South Africa yesterday, the counting of votes in the urban areas has been completed. The state of the parties is:— South Africa 51 Republican 0 Dominion 6 Labour 3 Independents .. .. 1 The counting in the rural areas is now in progress. It is anticipated that when the counting has concluded, the United Party, which holds the Government benches, will have more than 90 seats. Defeat of Dominion Leaders The defeated candidates include Colonel Stallard and Mr C. W. Coulter, Dominion Party’s leader and deputy leader respectively. The Dominion Party won two Durban seats from the Government, which is attributable to the English-speak-ing province’s reaction to the introduction of the Africaans NaTonal Anthem and also the fear that the Government will abolish the term “ British subject.” The Republicans were never strong in the urban areas, and the real test of their opposition will be revealed after the rural counting. “ Detestable Racialism ” The Capetown Times says: “ The results show that the United Party has triumphed by sheer commonsense and loyalty to two great leaders. If the rural vote goes similarly, we may well believe that the last has been heard of the Dominion Party’s heresy and the severest check given to the Republicans’ dangerous and detestable racialism.” A feature of the voting has been the heavy, consisted, poll by women, who outnumbered men. The campaign was comparatively quiet until last night, when outside districts in the Rand were given over to hooliganism and the smashing of cars belonging to Jews. The police cleared the streets in the poorer class districts. The state of the parties at the dissolution of Parliament was: Government .. .. 117 Republicans .. .. 20 Dominion 5 Labour 4 Independents .. .. 4 TWO MAIN PARTIES THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT GROWTH IN IMPORTANCE Nearly 1,000,000 people were expected to vote in the Union of South Africa general election. The main parties are the United Party with General Hertzog (leader) and General Smuts, the outstanding figures, and the Republican Party, the selfstyled Purified Nationalists, headed by Dr Malan. In 1934 General Smuts and General Hertzog decided to unite their followers in one party, Smuts being leader of the South African Party and Hertzog of the Nationalist Party. The combination became known as the United South Africa Party. From 1933 they had formed a coalition with General Hertzog as Prime Minister and General Smuts as Minister of Justice. Dr D. F. Malan dissented from the amalgamation. He took up the attitude that such a fusion would be a betrayal of Afrikandism. It soon became clear that he intended to assume the mantle which had fallen from General Hertzog’s shoulders as the once leader of Dutch racialism in the Union. South Africans could not help remembering that 25 years before General Hertzog had set out to build the Nationalist Party with a mere handful of followers, that he had appealed to racialism and republicanism, and had bitterly attacked the Imperial connection, and that he had come in the end to rule South Africa. Dr Malan’s first action was to unfurl once again the banner of republicanism. The slogan which he adopted was: “A Republic, but not necessarily in our time.” He then attacked General Hertzog most bitterly for his betrayal of Afrikandism. Although the United South African Party was returned everywhere in the provincial elections of 1936 with large majorities, there was a large increase in the votes cast for Dr Malay’s supporters.