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‘A united South African nation and not merely a South Africa peopled by Africanders and English’: the Earl of Athlone and the attempt to forge a Dominion South Africanism in the 1920s

John Lambert University of South Africa
Pages 128-152 | Published online: 31 Aug 2007

  • Lambert , J . 2000 . South African British? or Dominion South Africans? The evolution of an identity in the 1910s and 1920s . South African Historical Journal , 43 : 197 – 222 .
  • Driver , J . 2000 . Patrick Duncan: South African and pan-African 8 – 8 . Cape Town and Oxford
  • Ie Roux , JH and Coetzer , PW . 1980 . Die Nasionale Party, deel 2, Die eerste bewindsjare, 1924–1934: 1 120 – 120 . Bloemfontein
  • Lambert . British South Africans? 202 – 202 .
  • Despite this, no biography of Duncan has ever appeared although his role in 1939 is dealt with in van Wyk A Vyf dae: oorlogskrisis van 1939: 'n spanningsverhaal uit Suid-Afrika se geskiedenis Cape Town 1985
  • Boydell , T . 1948 . ‘My luck's still in’ with more spotlights on General Smuts 197 – 197 . Cape Town
  • Miller , C . 1980 . The Canadian career of the Fourth Earl of Minto: the education of a viceroy 51 – 51 . Waterloo, Ontario
  • Miller , C . 1980 . The Canadian career of the Fourth Earl of Minto: the education of a viceroy 52 – 52 . Waterloo, Ontario
  • NA, Governor-General (GG), 23/608 Distribution of papers to the King from the Cabinet Office; work of the Governor-General's Office, n.d.
  • September 1927 . GG, 19/991, enclosure, note of conversation between His Excellency, the Prime Minister and Mr Amery September , 10
  • Lownie , A . John Buchan: the Presbyterian cavalier 252 – 252 . Edinburgh n d
  • April 1923 . NA, Smuts Papers, 211 April , Stamfordham to Smuts, 24
  • December 1925 . Scottish Record Office, Edinburgh, Lothian Muniments GD 40/17 December , 3 – 3 . Kerr to B Long, 18
  • Cunneen . Kings' men 170 – 170 .
  • Magnus , P . 1964 . King Edward the Seventh 443 – 443 . London See Natal Witness, 7 December 1923
  • Waley , D . 1999 . Sydney, Earl Buxton, 1853–1934: statesman, Governor-General of South Africa 253 – 253 . Newtimber Dictionary of South African Biography, II, (Pretoria, 1972), p 114.
  • See Die Volksblad 1928 January 19
  • March 1921 . NA, Private Secretary of Prime Minister, 1/47 March , Smuts to the King, 17
  • See Clifford B Proconsul: being incidents in the life and career of the Honourable Sir Bede Clifford London 1964 88 88
  • January 1924 . Die Burger January , 22
  • March 1921 . Private Secretary of Prime Minister, 1/47 March , Smuts to The King, 17
  • Boydell . My luck's still in 191 – 191 .
  • See De Volkstem 1923 November 19, 6 December
  • August 1923 . Royal Archives (RA), King George V Archive, with appreciation for the gracious permission of Her Majesty The Queen for the use of this and other material from the Royal Archives RA PS/GV/L 1876/6 E Marsh to Stamfordham August , 24
  • October 1923 . Patrick Duncan Microfilms, D5.17.29 October , Duncan to Lady Selborne, 30
  • October 1923 . RA PS/GV/L 1876/14, Devonshire to the King October , 19
  • November 1923 . Patrick Duncan Microfilms, D4.17.43, Maud Selborne to Duncan November , 21, Dictionary of national biography (DNB) (1951–1960) Cambridge, Alexander …, Earl of Athlone (1874–1915), pp 175–178.
  • See, for example Cape Argus and Pretoria News 1923 October 27, Sunday Times 28 October 1923; Times of Natal, 29 October 1923.
  • October 1923 . De Volkstem October , 27
  • van der Byl , P . 1973 . Top hat to velskoen 40 – 40 . Cape Town
  • (DNB) 1951–1960 Cambridge, Alexander …, Earl of Athlone 177 – 177 .
  • March 1929 . RA PS/GV/P 474/93 March , Athlone to Stamfordham, 8
  • See his comment to the King during the Prince of Wales's tour that ‘he has no wife to assist him which makes a great difference to those of us who have the right type — RA, GV AA70/5 1925 May 29, see also RA, GV CC53/530, Athlone to Queen Mary, 25 April 1926.
  • See Alice, Princess, Countess of Athlone For my grandchildren: some reminiscences London 1966 chapter X
  • In 1928, Athlone referred to the many friends they had made and that they had come to look upon South Africa as ‘our home’, see William Cullen Library, University of the Witwatersrand, J H Hofmeyr Collection, Ga2 1928 February Athlone to Hofmeyr, 5
  • Boydell . My luck's still in 192 – 192 .
  • August 1924 . RA PS/GV/P 474/77 August , Athlone to the King, 29
  • December 1925 . Hertzog Versameling, 64 December , 61 – 62 . Athlone to Hertzog, 22
  • Of the two, Princess Alice became the more competent Afrikaans speaker, see Die Volksblad 1928 January 19, GG 19/1044, P G J Meiring, editor, De Kerkbode, to Athlone, 6 March 1930
  • April 1924 . RA PS/GV/P 474/73, Athlone to the King April , 10
  • 1924 . Smuts Papers , 213 ( no 11 ) June Athlone to Smuts, 30
  • June 1924 . Centre for Kentish Studies, Maidstone, Thomas Papers, U 1625/019/2 June , Athlone to Thomas, 25
  • April 1924 . RA PS/GV/P 474/73 April , Athlone to the King, 10
  • December 1930 . RA, GV FF3/ATH December , Clifford to Under Secretary of State
  • July 1926 . GG 7, 1 July , Athlone to Amery, 16, (letter 2)
  • December 1925 . Hertzog Versameling, 64 December , 60 – 61 . Athlone to Hertzog, 22
  • October 1927 . RA, GV AA70/27 October , Athlone to the King, 28
  • See RA PS/GV/P 474/80 1924 November Athlone to the King, 26, M Perham, African apprenticeship: an autobiographical journey in southern Africa, 1929 (New York, 1974), p 173.
  • April 1929 . RA, GV AA70/41 April , Athlone to the King, 24
  • Alice, Princess, Countess of Athlone For my grandchildren 173 173
  • November 1924 . RA PS/GV/P 474/80 November , Athlone to the King, 26
  • October 1930 . Thomas Papers, U1625/031/5 October , Athlone to Thomas, private and personal, 7
  • June 1929 . RA PS/GV/P 474/96 June , Athlone to the King, 19
  • April 1929 . RA, GV AA70/41 April , Athlone to the King, 24
  • June 1925 . RA, GV AA70/6 June , Athlone to the King, 23, RA, GV CC53/530, Athlone to the Queen, 25 April 1926.
  • April 1925 . GG 5, 5 April , Athlone to Amery, 9, G G 7, 1, Athlone to Amery, 26 July 1926.
  • Le Roux and Coetzer Die Nasionale Party 155 155 175
  • Evatt , HV . 1967 . The King and his dominion governors: a study of the reserve powers of the Crown in Great Britain and the Dominions … , 2nd ed 192 – 192 . London
  • October 1927 . DO, 9/7, Confidential, Representation of HM Government in Great Britain in the Union October , 13, enclosure, minute from HDJ Bodenstein, 18 September 1927
  • April 1926 . RA, GV CC53/530 April , Athlone to the Queen, 25
  • February 1924 . De Volkstem February , 13
  • ‘[A] man who realizes that in order to know a people he has to know their language’ Die Burger 1927 December 17, see also Die Volksblad, 17 January 1928 and Die Burger, 18 January 1928
  • March 1924 . RA, GV CC53/475 March , Athlone to the Queen, 20
  • April 1926 . RA, GV CC53/530 April , Athlone to the Queen, 25
  • September 1924 . GG 3, Minute by Secretary to the Governor-General, Major Alexander September , 24
  • October 1925 . RA, GV AA70/10 October , Athlone to the King, 28
  • October 1925 . Die Volksblad October , 14
  • September 1925 . GG 11 September , Hertzog to Athlone, 16, 23
  • October 1925 . RA, GV AA70/9 October , Athlone to the King, 10, Patrick Duncan Microfilms, D5.19.41, Duncan to Lady Selborne, 14 October 1925
  • October 1925 . RA, GVAA70/10 October , Athlone to the King, 28, see also Die Burger, 12 October 1925
  • GG, 19/994B Notes of the week, n d
  • June 1926 . GG, 2/6 June , Postma to Hargreaves, 1, ‘The visit of His Excellency and Suite to our festival last year will always be a sweet remembrance to me, the more so because the committee as well as the people at the festival noticed that His Excellency and Suite also enjoyed it’.
  • For invitations and letters of appreciation, see GG.2/144, 153, 190, 245, 246, 252, 259 [A] mark of honour to our people, our history and our language; he is today a trekker amongst descendants of Voortrekkers Die Volksblad 1927 December 16
  • September 1924 . Die Volksblad September , 18, translation in Thomas Papers, U1625/019/2, Athlone to Thomas, private and confidential, n d.
  • April 1930 . GG 19/1044 April , Dominee Botha, Rouxville to Athlone, 18
  • This was something commented on both by Athlone and by Afrikaners — see RA, GV AA70/4 1925 May Athlone to the King, 8, and GG 3/4853, D T Hendriks to Athlone, 24 January 1928.
  • See GG 5, 6 1925 May Athlone to Amery, 1
  • December 1925 . GG, 19/902, Minute, H L Smith December , Government House to Athlone, 1
  • October 1923 . Cape Times October , 27
  • see Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London Birch-Reynardson Diaries 2 1930 Feb. 81 81 20, see also GG 10, Athlone to Stamfordham, 10 February 1928), and the flag controversy (see below).
  • For evidence of his concern, see GG 29 Rough notes for an address to the Executive Council, n d.
  • January 1927 . RA, GV AA70/21 January , Athlone to the King, 14
  • Lambert . Captain Henry Birch-Reynardson 83 – 105 .
  • December 1930 . RA, GV FF3/ATH December , Richards to Athlone, 6
  • May 1927 . DO, 35/25 May , Althone to Amery, private and personal, 6
  • ‘[W]ill certainly be welcomed everywhere’ Die Volkstem 1928 January 17, ‘received with joy’ and ‘popular personalities’, Die Burger, 18 January 1928; see also Die Volksblad, 19 January 1928; Ons Vaderland, 20 January 1928; GG 2/242, Mayor of Standerton to Athlone, 3 January 1928.
  • Barnes , J and Nicholson , D , eds. March 1927 . The Leo Amery diaries Vol. 1 , March , 502 – 502 . London 1980, 30, 1896–1929
  • October 1927 . NA, Cape Town, Fremantle Collection 9 October , Fremantle to Athlone, 25
  • March 1929 . RA PS/GV/P 474/93 March , Athlone to Stamfordham, 8
  • March 1929 . RA PS/GV/P 474/93 March , Athlone to Stamfordham, 8, See also RA PS/GV/P 474/98, Athlone to Stamfordham, 1 August 1929.
  • July 1925 . GG 5, 9 July , Athlone to Amery, 10
  • August 1925 . GG, 75/157 August , Athlone to Amery, confidential, 17
  • August 1924 . RA PS/GV/P 474/76 August , Athlone to the King, 8
  • August 1929 . RA PS/GV/P 474/98 August , Athlone to Stamfordham, 1
  • July 1929 . RA, GV AA70/43 July , Athlone to the King, 2
  • October 1927 . RA, GV AA70/27 October , Athlone to the King, 28, see also RA PS/GV/P 474/84, Athlone to Stamfordham, 8 November 1927.
  • 1926 . GG, 1/289, Empire Community Settlement Committee RA, GV AA70/33, Athlone to the King, 10 February 1928; RA, GV CC53/484, Athlone to Marquess of Cambridge, 16 June 1924.
  • October 1930 . Thomas Papers, U1625/031/5 October , Athlone to Thomas, Private and personal, 7
  • June 1925 . GG 75/151 June , Athlone to Amery, confidential, 11
  • August 1925 . GG, 75/157 August , Athlone to Amery, confidential, 17
  • May 1924 . Smuts Papers, 213, no 10 May , Athlone to Smuts, 31
  • June 1930 . Hertzog Versameling, 64 June , 162 – 162 . Athlone to Hertzog, 23
  • June 1930 . GG65/125, Memorandum by Athlone as Chief Scout … June , 7
  • See RA, GV FF3/ATH 1930 June Hertzog to Athlone, 11
  • June 1925 . “ [T]o expect them to love that throne, is as unreasonable as it is untrue ” . In Die Burger June , 12
  • See Die Volksblad 1928 December 24
  • Perham . African apprenticeship 171 – 172 .
  • See Die Burger 1930 December 6
  • See Hertzog Versameling, 64 1930 June 161 162 Athlone to Hertzog, 23
  • June 1930 . Die Burger June , 16
  • June 1930 . RA, GV FF3/ATH June , Hertzog to Athlone, 20
  • June 1930 . Hertzog Versameling, 64 June , 161 – 162 . Athlone to Hertzog, 23
  • To mention one example, the editor of De Kerkbode 1930 March P G J Meiring referred to the way they had ‘stolen the hearts of our people’, GG 19/1044, Meiring to Athlone, 6
  • December 1930 . Pretoria News December , 5
  • December 1930 . RA, GV FF3/ATH December , Clifford to Athlone, 11
  • January 1931 . GG 1/1594, Executive Council Minute January , 16
  • July 1934 . Die Burger July , 23
  • December 1930 . RA, GV FF3/ATH December , J Martin to Athlone, 12
  • Even biographies of Hertzog ignore Athlone's role in South Africa or at best mention only his role during the flag crisis, see Pirow O James Barry Munnik Hertzog Cape Town n d); C M van den Heever, Generaal J B M Hertzog, 2de druk (Johannesburg, 1944); J H le Roux et al, Generaal J B M Hertzog: sy strewe en stryd, 2 vols (Johannesburg en Kaapstad, 1987). See also G D Scholtz, Hertzog en Smuts en die Britse ryk (Kaapstad, 1975).
  • See Pirow O James Barry Munnik Hertzog Cape Town 146 146
  • November 1924 . GG 50/1144 November , Athlone to Amery, 19, see also DO 9/3, Athlone to Amery, Secret, 1 October 1926, p 7 and Perham, African apprenticeship, p 159.
  • Translation in Pretoria News 1930 December 8
  • See RA GV FF3/ATH 1930 December Clifford to Under Secretary of State
  • Evidence for this perhaps contentious statement is the limited support given to the two extremist parties, the Dominion and the Gesuiwerde Nasionale 1930s in the

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