BOTHA AND HERTZOG.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1840, 28 August 1913, Page 7

BOTHA AND HERTZOG.

RIVALS AT RUSTENBURG. .. WILD ENTHUSIASM.

UNION PREMIER LIONISED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (llec. August 23, 0.5 a.m.) Cape Town, August 27. An acute situation, almost unique in South African politics, was created at llustenbnrg, owing to throats made by apparently responsible people to upset General Botha's meeting. 'J'lic Union Premier's adherents rallied to the city, the hotels were crowded, and surplus visitors wore accommodated in tents and Capo wagons in the principal streets. Extraordinary ovations were accorded General Botha in tlio back-country districts, which were supposedly Hertzogian strongholds. In his speech at Rustenburg, General Botha ridiculed the idea of his resignation when commanding a majority ot 27. Regarding his view of Imperialism, ho remarked that he regarded South African interests above all, but lie did not go about saying what lie would do if the Imperial Government did anything conflicting with South African interests. Genoral Hertzog reminded him of a man on his honeymoon, saying what ho would do if his wife proved unfaithful. The meeting by a big majority voted its confidence m General Botha, who was shouldered high, with wild ovations, to the hotel, half a mile away. Subsequently, General Hertzog addressed a thousand of his supporters. Ho declared that one of the coming questions was whether they should have a Federal Imperial Parliament, in vvhjcli South Africa would have ono representative per sixty representatives, in England, and whether tlio South African Parliament should bo reduced in status to a provincial body, allowing tho Federal Parliament to deal with tho Customs. Apparently, ho suggested, General Botha's reply would be, "Yes." Replying to a question regarding the possibility of a conflict with Britain, unless they conciliated her, General Hertzog argued that the Constitution would never be withdrawn. Tho Imperial Government had always kept its promisos to tho Dominions.

Tile meeting resolved that the only solution was General Botha's resignation.