SOUTH AFRICA AND THE EMPIRE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 266, 6 August 1919, Page 7

SOUTH AFRICA AND THE EMPIRE

$ GENERAL SHIUTS'S' COUNSEL . MENDING A BROKEN . EMPIRE ■■"-.•:■■■ ;r . 8y Telecraph—Press Association-CoryTlßM - (Rec. August 5, 5.5 p.m.) ... : Capetown, August 4. General Smuts has returned. Speaking ; at a reception, he appealed to ill theraces which had been comrades-in-arms now to.be brothers. Referring to the conditions in Europe, he said there was danger of the organism of--civilisation being destroyed. Re and Oeneral Botha themselves had been under the narrows That was why they had pieaded • with, their colleagues that a new spirit should ■ ; Ire shown to the Old World. On that ■ they took their stand, it was iinpossible to restore desolate Europe and re- ; create a new world unless there was a nioro magnanimous spirit among the na- ■ tious. Tho Peace "Treaty contained many provisions which would not help forward tho healing process. Hence _ uis plea, which had been so much criticised. General Smuts referred 1/ the British. , policy in South Africa after the Boer ', War as illustrating the soundness of hid . argument. He felt that this was the '. only way to deal with a broken country or a broken world. This could only be ■, done by bringing the broken family of Europe" into tho League of Nations. Naturally, everyone had doubts, but! : they had seen wnat the old system was. : A new link was in the development of human government, and tfcat link seemed to be the Leßgue of Na- •: tipns. i , •I'ue time had come, ho said, when we nrvt look beyond our own country for de' lopment find n larger vision. Referring to the charge of the Nationalists . that he was going to give away the rights of South Africa, he said he had always preached that the British Empire was a league of froo and equal States. The ; Empire could only endure upon one basis, as a league of equal and independent States. The old idea of Imperial federalism was unworkable, and would , lead to the break-up of the Empire. It - : had the greatest tutnie as a league of free nations, co-operating in all matters : of defence and taking counsel together in ' matters of foreign policy.—Aus.-N.Z, Cable Assn. BOLSHEVIST INTRIGUE. Johannesburg, August 4. _ ;> Information has reached the authori< ties indicating that certain' agitators, probably Bolshevists, are plotting to ; bring about a great native strike, from the Cape to tho Zambesi, on October 1. The native leaders in Johannesburg admit that tho natives, are talking of such a strike, but they deny I hat it has auy hopo of success, though they assert that thoi natives throughout the country are greatly dissatisfied—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn." . '