If Nazis Go To South Africa!

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 28, 23 December 1938, Unnumbered Page

If Nazis Go To South Africa!

New Zealand Is Vitally Concerned In German Demand For -Colonies —

® "if Germany obtains control. of South Africa, the key to : the British Empire is lost. . Australia, New Zealand and India will be at the mercy of any powerful naval force," ® This, while Germany agitates for the return of her South African colonies, is the view of the man in the ' street of Cape Town. ® Lloyd George’s book, "The ‘Truth About the Pesce Treaties," just published in England, exposes the German dream. ® Lloyd George reveals that as far back as the last war, Emil Zimmermann, in a special report to the German imperial Cabinet, said: "We shall never be able to exercise pressure upon Australia and India from a base in the South Seas; we might well do so from Mittel Africka." * Realising the importance to New Zealand of South Africa’s attitude to the Ger"4 nan colonial demands, the "Record" cabled Conrad Lighton, well-known "Cape Argus" newspaperman, for an exclusive article on South Africa’s position. In _ his reply, he headed his story: "South Africa Will Defend lts Rights to the Utmost." Here is his story: N MY desk this morning lay a telegram , from New Zealand. It asked: ‘‘What is Afvica’s reaction Hitler’s colony demand also what steps vombat possible Nazi invaSiu" 1,’ Outside the office in St. George’s Street, Cape Town’s Street of Ink, a newsboy was snouting ‘World War in

Africa?’’ and holding out a bill poster which a frisky southeast wind was blowing round his legs. What significance that quéetion mark holds for the people of Africa is plain from the news columns of the daily papersreports of mectings of the Tanganyika League, Mandate Supporters and ‘‘Hands off Afriea’’ clubs (all established since the Munich Pact), letters to the editor. eables from all the world centres. This eyening the posters on the news-vans are placarded,

‘*Riddle ofthe Colonies.’’? That is the speculative answer to the question mark of this morning’s poster. Solve the riddle and you know the destiny of many nations. ‘Africa is the cockpit of European afiairs,’’ observes General Smuts, deputy Prime Tiinister of South Africa, and an unwilling signatory of the Treaty of Versailles. ‘‘ Africa is tha complementary continent. to Europe,"’ spoke Mussolini in a recent peroration, providing a para-

phrase of General Smuts’s remark, T is all too true, and the people of Africa know it. The South African Government realised the position early this year. Mr. Oswald Pirow, Minister of Defence (now on a much-debated visit to Germany) outlined South Africa’ Ss war plans in January. O expedite South Africa’s defence plans, Mr. Pirow has just visited England. General Smuts made the following official announcement: (Turn over page.)

lf Nazis Go To South Africag-continued from P. 1

"‘Mr. Pirow has gone to see that we get from the British Government and the British manufacturers the means of defence which are vitally necessary for the protection of South Afriea.’’ ; Those words veveal the reactions to Germany’s ambitions no less than the fiery rhetorie heard at mectings of the Tanganyika League. South African opinion is erystaliised in a speech by General Smuts in Maritzburg this week. He said: ""We are going to defend South Africa to the utmost. South West Africa ‘has been entrusted to South Africa as a sacred trust by the League of Nations and if the necessity arises we shall fight for South West Africa because it is essential for the safety of South Africa.’’ ND what does the man in the street think of it all? I sat in a busy barber’s shop to-day and heard the conversation. At least half of it was on the colonial question. A clerk said: ‘*The first line of defence for the Union should be Tanganyika, the Rhodesias and South West Africa.’’ ' An air pilot: ‘‘Flying has annihilated distance. No country is safe from invasion. With a German menace on our borders our South Africa, with its rich gold mines, would become a Naboth’s Vineyard. In a few years we would be giving the Nazi salute.’’ | THE BARBER: ‘IF GERMANY OBTAINS CGONTROL OF SOULE AFRICA, THE KEY TO THE BRITSH EMPIRE IS LOST. AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND INDIA WILL BE AT THE MERCY OF ANY POWERFUL NAVAL FORCE.’’ A naval officer from Simon's Town, the British naval base near Cape Town: ‘‘One of the greatest sea bases in the world ean be created at Walvis Bay (on the South West coast). It would cost less than the Singapore job to make a. harbour there that could accommodate the entire navy of any firstgrade Power. If Germany should possess such a base at Walvis Bay, America would not feel happy, either.’’ I LEFT the barber’s shop with ' much food for thought. Is it true that such dangers exist? That is the disturbing uneertainty that haunts every South African, whether he be English, Duich or Jew. In an eloquent address on Armistice Day, Mr. J. H. Hofmeyer, one.of the leaders of South African thought, analysed the position: "The Union has received South West Africa as a solemn trust under a mandate from the nations of tha world, with obligations to its peoples. As long as Germany hag at heart the spirit of intolerances, as is evidenced by the way in which she treats her own minorities, for so long will it be utterly and entirely wrong to surrender those peoples to Germany.

**So, then, before that potential cause of war ean be removed, there must be a change of heart in Germany.’’ SOUTH AFRICA HAS LITTLE FAITH THAT SUCH A SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION WILL TAKE PLACE. FOR, WHILE GERMANY DECLARES SHE DESIRES PEACE, SHE ALSO SAYS SHE IS NOT APPALLED AT THE THOUGHT OF WAR. Frankly, South Afriea is appalled at the thought of war and is preparing for it as the ‘best way of avoiding it,

In his statement about South Africa’s war plans, Mr. Pirow revealed that the Government had decided to establish a railway factory in Pretoria whieh would in the first instance build lorries for the railways, but the factory would be so establishéd-de-fence would pay for it-that in war time South Afriea eould produce her own ¢annons, tanks, bombs and armoured ears on a large scale. He said an ammunition faetory would be in operation within threes months, and would be capable of producing 30,069,000 rounds a year.

To-day South Africa’s first ammunition factory, attached to the Royal Mint, Pretoria, is working at full production, Mr. Pirow also said it was being arranged with reluctance for a supply of poison gas lest the enemy should use it, and gas masks would be manufactured in the country. GINCE then Parliament has voted £6,000,000 for a new defenee programme. This ineludes £1,000,000 to be spent on new harbour defences and a considerable sum on the purchase of war planes and the development of a strong air arm.

Mobile commandos which ean disappear into the bush and make detours are also econtemplated. A great flect of transport acroplanes, as apart from fighting planes, ean be marshalled already — within a few days. Another important. prepara. tion is the vast scheme of docks extension in Cape Town. This is absorbing another £6,600,000. If the Mediterranean should ever be a closed route the strategic importance of the Cape route is certain to make big demands on Cape Town; and Cane Town will not be found wanting.