SOUTH AFRICA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24775, 27 November 1941, Page 8

SOUTH AFRICA

DIVISIONS OF OPINION REMARKABLE WAR EFFORT A GOODWILL MISSION (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 26. The remarkable war effort achieved by South Africa in spite of the deep divisions in the country was described to-day by Mr Leslie Blackwell, a member of the South African Parliament, who has arrived on a goodwill mission to make contact with the New Zealand Government. Mr Blackwell, who was in Egypt only a month ago, said the morale of the South African troops training for the present offensive was very high. A member of the Government party in South Africa, Mr Blackwell has represented one of the Johannesburg constituencies continuously for the last 26 years. He was sent by the Prime Minister, General Smuts, to assure the new Australian Government of South Africa’s goodwill, and was instructed, if time permitted, to continue his trip to New Zealand. Side by Side in Libya

Mr Blackwell, who visited the Dominion five years ago, said he was especially glad to be back at a time when New Zealanders and South Africans were fighting side by side in Libya. Four weeks ago he met in Egypt the commander of the South African Division now fighting so gallantly. While he could not give his name at present, he could say that he was a Boer, and that more than half his men had Afrikaans names. Ever since the close of the Abyssinian campaign the South African troops in Egypt had been training intensively for the present offensive. Their general had' told him that they were in the best of condition, and on their toes waiting for the attack they knew was coming. “In spite of the grave divisions of opinion which exist in South Africa on the war issue and the fact that a strong and influential section of Afrikaans’ opinion is not only republican and anti-British, but professes to welcome the prospect of a German victory.” he said. “South Africa has recruited over 120 000 men from a white population of 2.000,000, and its industrial war effort is second only to that of Australia. We are making howitzers. armoured cars, and bombs up to 5001 b, and are acting generally as a workshop for the Middle East, while our ports are a repair shop for the British Fleet. »

Inspired Leadership

“Under the inspired leadership of General Smuts, the country is well organised and pulling its weight, or more than its weight, in the common struggle.” Mr Blackwell added. Asked if he had any specific nronosals to place before the New Zealand Government. Mr Blackwell s'hd he had not. but that Australia. South Africa and New Zealand, the three great southern partners in ihc British Commenwept’h. saw far inn little of each otbar. That was why Pm South .African Government f elt, that he should extend his visit to New Zealand. Mr Blackwell added that he had travelled 18.000 mil°s to reach the Dominion, and he had never seen amrthing more beautiful than the approach to AuaVlgnd.

Mr Blackwell wi(J >eava fnr the south in the moraine, and will he in New Zealand for a little over a week.