SHOUTING & JEERING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 February 1940, Page 6

SHOUTING & JEERING

ATTEMPT TO SILENCE GENERAL SMUTS

HERTZOC'S LATEST ATTACK. DEBATE ON INDEMNITY BILL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright(Received This Day. 1.5 p.m.) CAPE TOWN. January 31. Members of the Opposition, with Genera] Hertzog the most prominent attempted to silence General Smuts, shouting and jeering. However, the House passed the’ first reading of the Indemnity Bill, all stages of which were contested. General Smuts, replying to a demand for a general election. said South Africa's position was very different from Canada's, where Parliament had almost completed its normal life. South Africa had a general election a little over a year ago, which led to the return of a great party. That party itself decided in September that the country should join the war. It had been said without foundation that the Government had thus acted because it feared an English rebellion.

General Hertzog. interjecting: “Does the Premier know there is information from Pretoria that an English rebellion would have occurred if that decision was not taken?”

General Smuts: "There is no such suspicion.” The Labour leader. Mr Madeley. a supporter of the Government said: "I deeply resent the insults to Britain from the Opposition. A separate peace is unthinkable to all workers, both English and Afrikanders, who unanimously asked me to enter the Government in support of Britain and General Smuts.”