UNITED IN STRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1940, Page 5

UNITED IN STRESS

PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA DUTCH PASTOR'S SERMON. VINDICATION OF SMUTS’S POLICY. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, May 30. News from South Africa indicates that the latest phase of German aggression has had an important effect on Nationalist feeling and is rallying all sections of the community to the Government and the Allied cause. In a sermon recently preached at Pretoria the Rev W. Ricol, head of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Transvaal, roundly condemned Germany’s invasion of Holland and made the point that he had always looked forward to an independent Afrikander nation. But he said he would sooner that ideal lost than be forced to exist under the rule of an un-Christian State. It is predicted that this vindication of General Smuts s policy coming from such a quarter will have interesting repercussions. The 'Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa exercises and has always exercised a most far-reaching influence upon the Afrikanders and among its inherents are the majority of South Africa’s political leaders. Two of the church’s former ministers, Dr Malan and Dr Van der Merwe, are leaders of the Nationalist Party.

TRANSVAAL WORKERS SPEEDING UP WAR SUPPLIES. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. JOHANNESBURG, May 31. Workers in iron and steel manufacturing and engineering industries in Transvaal have agreed to the curtailment of leave privileges with a view to speeding up munitions and other wai supplies. Some firms are already working on the two or three-shift system. SOUTHERN RHODESIA formation of inner CABINET. SALISBURY, May 31. The Prime Minister, Mr Huggins, in the Assembly announced the formation of an inner Cabinet of three to intensify the war effort. He foreshadowed more drastic taxation.-