EXCITEMENT IN AFRICA.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 28 August 1913, Page 5

EXCITEMENT IN AFRICA.

GREAT POLITICAL DEMONSTRATIONS. GENERAL BOTHA OVATIONED. A REPLY BY GENERAL HERTZOG. Received This Morning, 12.5 o'clock. CAPETOWN, August 27. An acute situation arose at Rustenburg, which is almost unique in South African politics. The threats of apparently responsible people to upset General Botha's meeting caused a rally of the Premier's adherents. The hotels were crowded, and surplus visitors were accommodated in tents and waggons in the principal streets. The fact that General Delarey, who has hitherto been silent, presided at the meeting, is regarded as significant. Extraordinary ovations were accorded General Botha in the back country districts, which were supposedly a Hertzogian stronghold. General Botha, in the course of his, speech, ridiculed/the'idea of resignation, when commandihg a majority of twenty-seven. - Regarding Imperialism, .lie remark-, ! ed that he was a/South African above all, but did not go about saying what he would do if the Imperial Government did anything conflicting with South African interests. Gen* eral Hertzog reminded him of a man on. his honeymoon, saying what he would do if his wife was unfaithful. The meeting, by a big majority, passed a resolution of confidence in General Botha, who was carried shoulder high, amidst a wild ovation, to his hotel half a mile away. Subsequently General Hertzog addressed a thousand of his supporters. He declared that one of the coming questions was whether they would have a Federal or an Imperial Parliament ,in which South Africa would have one representative for every sixty representative? in England; and whether tlhe South African Parliament should be reduced to the status of a provincial body, allowing the; Federal Parliari&nt to deal with 'Customs. Apparently, he said, General - Boaas reply would be, ',' Yes." J ' Replying to a question"as to the- " possibility of a conflict with Britain, unless they conciliated her, General Hertzog argued that the Constitution ' would never be withdrawn. The Im- ' perial Government had always kept its " promises to the Dominion. The meeting resolved that the only - solution of the present position was ' ex-President Steyn's recommendation' in favour of General Botha's resignation.