The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 4th, 1924. THE SOUTH AFRICAN CABINET.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 4th, 1924. THE SOUTH AFRICAN CABINET.

'I UK new .Ministry for South Africa is a composite team, drawn front the Nationalists and Labor. The former predominate. General llertzug is at tno itead of the Government, and Colonel Cresswell, the leader of the .Lilian’ party, lms two portfolios, Defence and Labor. With the Nationalists are .several names made familiar by tho

3 cablegrams jroin lime to time, such 3 as I)r Mulart (the journalist!. Messrs 3 Kook, Beyers, Kemp ami Grobler. The j occasion of tile fusion was duo in tho j first- instance to tin* pie-eleetion pact 3 whereby Nationalists and Labor eom--3 Lined to defeat the Smuts Govern--3 meat. It was the understanding that ? if success! ul, a coalition government would .esult. the parties bolding office in proportion to their numerical [ strength. That compact has been ad- ‘ tiered to, hence the* hirth of tht* Min- • istry cm tho linos announced. In I point ot fact it is largely Republican ’ in i ts Meanings, I nt the direct issue ; is not likely to eome to the surface during the life of the present Ministry ; as Labor does not favour cutting the painter. In one of the earliest campaign speeches, General Smuts made the issue plain to the people of South Africa. Speaking at Pretoria he pronounced bis fear about the secession movement, and regarded General Kemp (now Minister of Agriculture) as n lending secessionist who would become ultimately Minister of Do. fence. For the time being, however, Colonel Cresswell holds that portfolio, so immediate fears are not justified. Another member whom General Smuts criticised vehemently was Mr Tielman Boos, now Minister of Justice, who favored a State Bank and tho printing of money in preference to borrowing it—largely the exploded policy of the Russian Soviet. The gravest fears of General Smuts were, however, in regard to General Hertzog. now Prime Minister and Minister of Native Affairs. Tho objection to Mr Hertzog Was his segregation policy, which aimed at the segregation of all natives in territorial reserves, while in the Cape they would lose their Parliamentary < vote; on tho other hand, coloured ' people, as distinct from natives, would I have the same vote ns the whites : throughout tho Union and (be colour I

hnr would disappear. Such a policy, General Smuts considered would bring business to a complete deadlock, •and

product* a sense of injury, injustice, and oppression which would not easily he effaced. 'l'lio ex-Premier further traversed tho past political record of General Hertzog and considered South Africa would he untrue to itself if a Pact Government were returned to power. That result, however, has come to pass and events must take their course. It is well that General Smuts will have a seat in the new Parliament, ami mi doubt he will he a formidable untie of tho new Government. Probably iso far as Ciflonel Cresswell and Mr Boydell—the Labor Ministers—are concerned, they w prove the brake on the secessionists, of whom tin* champion is General Kemp, who joined up with the South Alrieun rebellion at the outbreak of the Great Wat. General Hertzog is notably variable in his attntude toward Great Britain—being in fact an opportunist—lie is to a great extent an uncertain quantity in a crisis. lie has never been a model of consistency—which is often a failing with politicians. The alliance of Nationalists and Labor is a somewhat mixed one, hut the Nationalists cannot hold oilieo without the support of l-thor. so tho tail will he able to wag the dog to some material extent no doubt. Meantime, the unfolding of the Government. policy will he awaited with no small amount of interest.