Evening star., 1932-06-09
NATAL'S SECESSION
IS HELD UNLIKELY
South African Envoy Holds
Province Faces Ruin
in Such a Step.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

There is no truth in reports re-
ceived i'll this country from British
sources that the province OF Natal
intends to Secede from the South
African Union, according to the Hon.
Eric LouW. Minister of South Africa
In Washington.
South Africa, like every country
nowadays, has its serious troubles and
problems, but the Natal question is
for the time being as good as non
existent.
Natal has a population of 100000
Inhabitants. of which 100000 are
whites. The majority of the white
population is British. Among the
British there is a comparatively small
number who are dissatisfied with the
present COnd..ionS resulting from
from Great Britain. These men, the
Minister said. arc of the type fire.
quently found in many former British
colonies They are British flag
wavers" and are more attached to
Great Britain than to South Africa.
Convention Is Called.
These ultra British have foStered
this so-cGlled recession move in Natal
and have held in Pietermaritzburg,
the capital of the province, conven-
ton where certain resolutions were
passed This convention was described
In press dispatches as the Congress
of Natal"
The word congress was used IN the
sense Of meeting or gathering, and not
in the sense thst this was a meeting OF
the Legislature of the province. AS
matter Of fact the provincial le9lSla-
lures OF the four South African states
have much less power than the Legls-
latlres of the States of the American
Union: its main role is to elect, to-
gether with the representatives of the
South African Parliament, members Tor
the dominion Senate.
At this convention the wish OF the
minority of thr BritiShSOuth African
citizens was expressed in the form OF
resolution demanding the secession OF
Natal from the South African Union,
The reason for the discomfort of many
Brit South African citizens is that
South Africa has adopted its own flag
and has replaced the head Of King
George on the stamps by design rep
reSenting the national embemS OF the
union They also object to the fact
that by the new laws OF the country
every official is compelled to speak the
two official languages of the Union
Dutch and English.
Still Desire Unity.
In spite Of these grievances the ma
torlty of the BritISh-SOuth Africans do
not desire the disruption of the Union,
and still less do theE desire the seces-
sion Of Natal or any other province
from South Africa.
The reason Tor the loyalty of the
Natal people is due mainly to the fact
that the majority Of them realize that
Natal outside the union could not exist
very long. This small province has only
three industries of any lmpoctance-the
Port Of Durham. which depends upon
the TranSva3l and the Orange Free
State Provinces for support and bust
resV. which. in tho unlikely event OF
Natals secession. would be diverted to
the rival port of LOurence Marques; the
sugar industry, which in the last few
years has been kept alive by Union
government protective measures, and
coal mining. which has little export
value, because the rest OF South Africa
possesses vast coal deposits.
Under the circumstances It would be
suicidal for the small province to at
tempt a secession move and While it is
true that most of its inhabitants would
like to see the Union Jack float on the
public buildings and the effigy Of King
George restored on the union stamps, ii
is most improbable that the small group
OF CecessiCnistS should find any aC-
tual following among the more sober
alenNentC of "a