BOERS’ PLAN LABOUR PARTY DISTRUST

Grey River Argus, 7 June 1948, Page 5

BOERS’ PLAN LABOUR PARTY DISTRUST

. LEADER ON REPUBLICAN ISSUE (Rec. 9.0) CAPETOWN, June 5. Mr John Christie, the leader of the South African Labour Party, which was allied with the United party in the elections, said that Dr Malan’s suggestion that members of the British Commonwealth should have seperate discussions, instead of an inclusive conference, struck the first blow at Commonwealth .unity. He added that Dr Malan’s suggestion contradicted his assurance that the Nationalists intended to continue friendly relations with the United Kingdom and.other members of the Commonwealth. “Republicanism has never been repudiated by the Nationalists,” he said. “No worker can view the future with equanimity in a Nationalist Party Republic.”

Malan Says South Africa Will Remain in Empire

PRETORIA, June 4. South Africa would “gladly continue’’ her good relations with Britain and other Commonwealth countries if there was no prejudice to her status as a sovereign State, declared Dr D. F. Malan in his first broadcast as Prime Minister, which was made soon after the Cabinet was sworn in.

“We fully acknowledge our partnership in the community o.f nations, and therefore, we by no means stand for an isolationist policy. We wish it to be clearly understood that we. like our predecessors, undertook membership of the United Nations on the clear understanding that there would be no interference from outside in our domestic affairs or a breach of our sovereignty. We shall build on this foundation and utterly refuse to allow our destiny to be limited by any country, Power, or 'organisation except ourselves’’. Dr Malan said that his Government fully acknowledged the particularly friendly relations in which South Africa stood with the United Kingdom and other lands of the British Commonwealth.

“Those good relations we shall, as far as we are concerned, gladly continue”, he said. “We must emphasise, however, that co-operation for common ends will be possible only if there is no prejudice to our status, and if there are no attempts of outside interference in our domestic affairs”. Dr Malan added that with the recent admission to the Common-

wealth of new members with equal rights, and especially in view of South Africa’s experiences at Lake Success, the danger of this interference was by no means imaginary. The question must inevitably be put, therefore, whether the good cooperation which everybody desired could be achieved better bv independent contacts between individual members of the Commonwealth than by discussion at general and all-embrac-ing conferences. Dr Malan said that many Englishspeaking oeoole supported him at the general election. FACIAL QUESTION There was enough common ground between the two white races to eliminate the racial question from ; South African political life. Unfortunately, co-operation had not yet gore so far that the English and Africaans-speaking ‘ would form a government together, but j for the first time since the Union, there was a completely bilingual I Government. The Government would protect the particular interests of non-Euro-peans to its best ability. “Apartheid (segregation) is not the caricature which is so often been made of it”, he declared. “Indeed, it means for nonEuropeans greater independence and self-respect, as well as better opportunities for free development”. Dr Malan added that for European apartheid meant a new feeling of safety through the protection of their identity and a future for both races. It meant peaceful relations with each other and co-operation in the common interest. Cabinet took the formal oath, td bear true allegiance to the King, his heirs, and successor.