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Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1933, Page 4

There is an old saying that threatened men live long. So do threatened Governments sometimes. If long life cannot be predicted for the 'South African Government under General Hertzog, it has at least outlived the threat that it would fall immediately the ®ession .opened this year. It was attacked in a motion demanding its resignation. It survived, and obtained a. vote of confidence with a majority of 14, greater strength than a preliminary counting of heads had indie..ted. Nevertheless General Hertzcg has now told a gathering of his followers that he is prepared to agree to the formation of a coalition, because of the difficulty of maintaining a 'Government, and the uncertainty of the oui,look if mi election were forced by the campaign of Mr Thiclman Pros. iSinco leaving the Supreme Court beech, Mr Roos has been carrying on an intensive campaign in the Union with the avowed object of bringing the two outstanding political groups, the Nationalists and the South Af!’ic ;n Party, together to form a coalition. Shortly before the session evened he defied this as his objective, adding that it was the only way to prove to the world there was no rn dalisni in Son+h Africa. Tb- South African Party, lie said, had. declared

for cooporaion and it was the duty of the -Nationalists to do the same. There, so far as lias been known, the portion rested. What circumstances have caUbOd General Mertzog to make the advance n,j.v reported can only i.e conjectured. When his party' suffered a severe reverse in a bv-elcction at the beginning of December, he showed no sign of changing his old uncompromising attitude toward his opponents. He faced the session in similar unyioldiing fashion. It can only be assumed that Air Boos lias obtained for bis coalition .proposals enough positive support to require that they be taken seriously. The demand for unity in face of national difficulties has proved effective in other countries. It may have awakened an equal lespinsj in South Africa in spite of the deep gulf which has separated the parties there in the past.