28 JUNE 1924, Page 2

In South Africa General Smuts has resigned as the inevitable

result of the General Elections, and General Hertzog is forming a Government. General Hertzog freely admits that, though the actual agreement between the Nationalists and Labour ended with the elections, he owes his present position to the arrangement which saved his party from triangular contests. He is, there- fore, asking Labour to be represented in the new Govern- ment. He has emphasized his previous statement that the pledge not to raise the question of the constitutional relationship of South Africa to Great Britain will be strictly honoured. Republicanism is out of the question till a majority of the people desire it, and he acknowledges that at present there is no such majority. When we go to press it is still uncertain whether Labour will join the Government. Colonel Creswell desires it, but a great many of his followers disagree with him.

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