Royal Family Arrives At Pretoria

Chronicle (Levin), 31 March 1947, Page 5

Royal Family Arrives At Pretoria

Press Assn.-

By Telegraph

Copyright

Received Sunday, 7 p.m. CAPETOWX, March 29. Disregarding the rain, large crowds greeted the Royal "Family when they arrived at Pretoria. Crowds at the railway chefired wildly. As tlie Royal visitors, in open cars, passed slowly along the streets, hundreds of people oroke the police cordon and ran aflef Jie cars ye.liihg and Waving. .Their Majesties met 1200 Boer War veterans near the statue of Louis Botlia, Commander in-Chief : of the Boer Army, who'se nephevv, General Manie Botlia, vnatted with their Majesties. ' ' Why don 't ' you come, and live here?" he asked tlie Queen, who replied: "That would be very niee. We are noping to come here aga,in. " Tlie lying inspected, " with General Smuts, the statue of Paul Kruger. The Mayor, Mr. E. Y.an Heerden, who vvas interned" for 13 months as a proXazi dunng the war, met their Majesties at the railway where General Smuts presented him. The Iving, speaking at a banquet at the City Hall, tlianked South Africa for "six vcry happy weeks." He said the only unhappy memory was the constant anxiety about the cruel ordeal the people of Britain had undergone since lie left tliem in January. South Africa 's sympathy had made the anxiety easier to bear. His Majesty repeated the prayer oll'.cred iii Blo.emfoiitein Catliedral on -March 9. Tlie prayer concluded: "Grant • to us who have lived so gently, that we may have true -sympathy with ou; bret.hren in Britain and follow the example of theii' courage. " The King said: " It stirred me SO deeply 1 kept a copy -of it. It seems to me that the prayer symbolises the spirit which must inspire the„ whole Coinmonwealth and Empire — an understanding of each other 's troubles, a vvish to help and a "■ determination to solve our problems -together. Are we notoue brotherhood— the grcatest brotherliood in the whole history of man? Our brothavhood has been strengthened and not weakened by past differences of which, like wise men, we have forgotten the causes and remembered only the' lessons. ' ' The Iving expressed special pleasure at reaching Transvaal where. the soil. vvas hallowed by memories ol! many famous South Africans and where feats of courage had been aecomplished that vvouhl be remembered alike by Boer and Britou. The Krflg said: "I hope Kruger 's innriortal Words — ' take from ihe past all that is good and beautiful. -hupe vour idea! with it and build your future in this ideal« will ever remain the watehword* of ypung South Africans." The King concluded: "I sincerely hope our visit will kn.it even closer the bonds of goodvviU^ajpj friendship u'niting.our l.wo countrie^" .