SOUTH AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1919, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICA.

THE GERMAN COLONIES,. GENERAL SMUTS' APPEAL FOR UNITY, 8f T«test»Bh.—Pt«s» Assn.—Copyright. Capetown, Sept. S. In the Assembly, General Smuts moved tho introduction of a Bill to give effect to the mandate of the League of Nations. The Nationalists opposed the motion, on the ground that it would involve legislation for States outside the Union, and therefore was contrary to the constitution. The Speaker declined to give a ruling on the subject at that stage, and the motion was carried. General Smuts then moved the ratification of the peace treaty, and said that the League of Nations was to him the peace treaty. All else might vanish, but this would stand for ever. Tlie covenant of the League was the real soul of the treaty, and would remain when much of the treaty (with which he disagreed owing to its many blots and blemishes) had disappeared. In referring to the Dominions' status, General Smuts said lie could well understand that in other parts of the world the enormous perponderance of the British Empire would not he looked upon with any great favor. Fears had been expressed in South Africa that the ultimate tendency of tho League of Nations would be to break up. the British Empire. This, he said; was entirely wrong. On the contrary,' he could imagine great dominions arising, which in the next generation might be as great as 'Britain. There might have been a danger of a breakaway, but the League had provided against it. The day would come when the League would be reorganised, and that would be a most important epoch in British historyIn referring to the mandate, General Smuts declared that whatever happened the' German colonies should never go back to Germany. If the Union did not take up the mandate it would revert to ihe great Powers, who would entrust it to some other authority.

Capetown, Sept. S. In the Assembly, General Smuts moved the introduction of a Bill to give effect to the mandate of the League of Nations.

Dealing with the question of penalties, be contradicted the statement that General Botha had favored the trial of the Kaiser. It was due to his memory to say'that he was a great opponent of vindictivenesß and was against draconian provisions.

Dealing with the reparation clauses, General Smuts said that they were far from satisfactory, and would have to be revised in the near future.

He concluded witji an earnest appeal for the unity of the British and I)utch. During his absence lie had seen human suffering on so colossal a scale that hu did not wish any repetition of it here. All the bitterness had gone-from his heart, and his only wish wag to see a real union between themf—Aus. N.Z. Cable Associ THE WILY DE WET. OPENLY HOSTILE TO BRITAIN. Capetown, Sept. 8. Ia a manifesto published in a Nationalist paper at Bloemfohtein, De Wet, one of the leaders of the rebellion in 1914, declares that he will no longer keep silence regarding the illegal conquest of German South-West and SouthEast Africa. The unjustifiable attack on German territory was the cause of the rebellion, wherefore he intends to make a strong appeal to the people who retain a right feeling to force ths Government to restore the German territories to the rightful original owners. He would have done this before had not Generals Botha and Smuts immediately on their return from Europe announced an amnesty, which had not yet been fulfilled. . Although still in bonds he declares plainly that he will not again ask the permission of the Government if he wishes to leave his district.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.