Talk:Jan Smuts and a British Transvaal

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[edit] Het Volk/People's Party

I'm not sure that it's entirely accurate to refer to Het Volk as the People's Party. Historically it is known by the Dutch/Afrikaans name and I think that it is a potential cause of confusion to refer to it by the translated name.

Xdamr 01:44, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

Isn't it a convention to refer to non-English (language) political parties by their English name? I can only think of a few (Nazis, Colorados, Parti & Bloc Québécois, and Irish Gaelic parties) that don't, and that's because their names don't correspond with traditional ideological party tags (excepting the Colorados), as 'Het Volk' does. Bastin8 15:19, 3 February 2006 (UTC)

Well, yes and no. In the case of an entirely foreign insitiution a case can well be made to refer to it by an English translation (eg. Germany - Christian Democratic Union, Russia - United Russia). However, given the relationship between Smut's South Africa and the UK I don't think that Het Volk can be regarded as an entirely 'foreign' institution. In the Transvaal and broader South Africa the party appealed to both Briton and Boer and was known universally by the Dutch title. I've checked a few books I have on the subject and without exception the party is referred to as Het Volk. Given this, and especially the latter point, perhaps it would be best to omit the translation?

Xdamr 17:03, 3 February 2006 (UTC)