SOUTH AFRICAN UNION.

Taihape Daily Times, 18 July 1919, Page 6

SOUTH AFRICAN UNION.

REPLY TO NATIQNALISTS

INDEPENDENCE IMIPOSSIBLE[

SPEECH BY MR LLOYD GEORGE.

PARIS, J une 104

Mr Lloyd George, in the course of his treply to the South African Nationalist demgation which appealed to him to grant independence to South Africa, said: '

“At the most solemn nlO'lYf'3il"t‘ "613 its history the people of South Africa exercised, a free, deliberate and final choice. They expressed that choice in a free instffufion, of their own breation. Not only the Imperial Governxnent, but also the Imperial Pal"lianlent blessed and ratified that constitution.

“The principle of self-determination has been given efiect to bf the peo--311:: of South Africa ix; ‘the’ fullest, frecst, most solemn, and most deliberate manner, but we ‘could‘ not agree to any action which would mean the destruction of the Union_ “To do otherwise would ruin South Africa.

“The restitution of the ‘national status of the old republics would not only break up the Union. It wgqld also breakup the constituent _i):i;’ts of South ‘Africa, for, assuming for fhe sake of argument that it is the‘ wish of the Dutch-speaking 13'€Op}e of the Transvaal to break from the U;lio_n, are the equally numerous Britishspcakillg peopl‘c of the Transééial not ‘gntitled ‘:9 any choice regarding _th_eir bwn status? '

“And suppose they desire to remain‘ in the Union, sliall We proceed to the partition of the TranSv_all‘? . K. “And if the predominate native parts of Sou'th Africa choose separetion from the Union, shall We have to cut off the native territories from the Union and its provinces‘? 4 V “These questions need only to be asked to make it clear how dangerous and, in fact, impossible it woiild be to recognise a mere sectional choice of determination exercised by any part of the people of South Africa, without reference to the will of the whole.” The Prime Minister finally points out that the status ‘of South’Aflrica in

the world has becoifie greatly enhanced‘

“It is futile to believe that South Africa can ever return to that isolation, which was possible a century ago,” he said. “The world has become too knit together. The action of one part irnfringes too directly and ‘solo rapidly on the fortunes of every other part of any nation to keep outside. The League of Nations is a recognition of this inexorable fact, and in the fruture League of Nations South Africa will ‘have the same membership and ‘status and far more influence than any other States which are outside the ranks of the Great. Powers." “Speaking to you not only as a British Prime Minister, but as :1. tried‘ friend and well-Wisher of the Dutch people, and as myself a member of one of the smaller nations wof the British Empire, I would advise your people with all earnestness not tcT'éndeavour to undo the past, but to look forward confidently to the great future which lies before a, united South Africa, and 1:0 persevere 'ol] the road Providence has marked out for the common line of progress.” . .