RESETTLEMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Evening Star, Issue 12207, 27 May 1904, Page 1

RESETTLEMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Rcarß was not built in a day, nor were ihe wounds and antipathies between North and South resultant from the great American Civil War healed in a week, nor the bitter resentment of the German annexation of Alsace and Lorraine wiped out in a year. The last-mentioned still lives, an ever open sore iu the hearts of thousands of Frencnmen. More than a generation bad to pass before the Southerner was in complete harmony with the men who had crushed the Secession movement, and incidentally freed the slave. We are, however, apt to forget the lessons of history, and though r.he ■ Vereeniging terms of submission are n it yet two years old, pessimists ever and again fill the air with their pitiful waitings, which only help to create a false body of public opinion, more or less in evidence. Strictly speaking and historically considered, the settlement of South Africa has proceeded so far on sound lines, and the progress of the country has been largely satisfactory. What has been done in two years? It would not be an exaggeration to answer "Nearly everything." There is ordered government in the Transvaal; the foundations for ihe future representation of the people by the people have been laid; the construction of railways is progressing; and the settlement of the people on agricultural areas iind the inauguration of a sound system of primary education have been taken in hand. In Capo Colony i.here exists a Parliament, elected under a most lopsided and unfair franchise, with a majority of its | members thoroughly loyal to the British j Ciown, and a Government of men who, I while holding strenuously to those principles | which were at the root of the South African { War, have shown that they can forget old | feuds and release men who, under otiier j Flags, might have met with a very different fate. And all this is the work of less than two years. South Africa is a country, to use the words of Mrs Stuart (a member of that talented but much-divided Sehreinar I family), where " Britishers can now breathe " and lift up their heads and rejoice, which "they had never been able to do since "1881." At the same time, neither Dutchman nor Boer, Kaffir nor foreigner, need be under the least shadow of apprehension as to the kindly nature and the generosity of treatement that will go out to him and his. The contra side, of the ledger may be summed up in half a dozen words. Some people looked for a miracle, which was not forthcoming. Thousands rushed to the Transvaal for work, and because it was not immediate and highly remunerative they turned and vilified the Government, Lord Mihier and Mr Chamberlain, and everything but their own folly. Chief among the obvious causes of temporary distress and embarrassment was the shortage of cheap labor for the successful operation cf the smaller and inferior grade mines. The : natives, on whom these mines relied before j the war, refused to work any longer in the , compounds; the class known as " cheap ! whites" was tried without success, and in any case they would have proved a distinct hindrance to the future welfare of the colony; ordinary Britishers were tried with unsatisfactory results to both; and tho I mineovrners applied for permission to import Asiatic labor. This decision was supported by Lord Milner, the Legislative Council, ministers of all religious denominations, representatives of trades unions, and : a vast majority of the people. Asiatic labor will not reach tho Transvaal for some

weeks, and the delay is accentuating the distress. In the words of the correspondent of the ' Koelnische Zeitung'—writing when a shipment of Chinese was expected—"any "delay in the importation of Chinese into " the Transvaal would hare meant an absolute economic and financial collapse of "industry and trade in the Transvaal, and "finally State baakruptcy. The perversion " of the facts which took place not only in "the discussions : n the Houses of Lords "and Commons, bnt which also appeared in "the Boer leaders' manifesto, are without "precedent. The policy of the Boers was

"dangerous, although it was entirely logi"cal; but ihe stoppage and even decline "of industry are lant-imoi>nt to a retro"gression of the British Imperial idea." It is unnecessary to reopen this phase of a question which, few can look back upon with satisfaction. Apart from those who are honestly opposed to Chinese on Tacial and ethical grounds, the campaign against the passing of the Labor Ordinance was political frjm start to finish. Its net result has heen to prolong the period of the Transvaal's business depression.

The circumstances and conditions briefly touched upon above were those ruling when the Boer delegates assembled in congress in Frctoria this week. A perusal of the cable despatches does not furnish any ground for alarm. The very fact that Mr Botha can meet his people and say the things he has said and may be expected to tell them is indicative of the freedom existing under and broad-mindedness of the present regime. Time was when the Uitlanders had to flee the country for asking and saying much less. j\lr Botha's chief grounds of compliant are: Delay in granting responsible government; delay in the payment of compensation for war losses, and further delay in the settlement of the financial and agricultural interests. There is nothing formidable in these averments, and Iho indictment, from a party standpoint, is weak. Responsible government has not been unduly withheld, and Mr Botha in his heart must know perfectly well that this is so. It would be little short of suicidal to grant this demand while men are still smarting under a sense of defeat. The colony would be filled with Uitlanders in no time. The president of the Congress, however, gave, in addition, certain advice that can only cause tiouble if it should be followed. He is reported to have advocated the boycotting of the State schools and the sending of Boer children to Boer schools only. That surely is the last means of teaching children to forget and of bringing Boer and colonist together uuder ono common flag We are pleased to note, in this relation, that Lord Methuen's old opponent, ex-General De la Rey, protested against such petulance and vindictiveness. Xor are the British Government likely to recognise the late Republic's debts. Mr Kruger's policy has cost the Empire too much already. The compensation for war losses, however, beint,one of Britain's promises to the Boers, is matter for consideration, although it will be noted by the cables to-day that the Lieutenant-Governor denies that the Boers have any ground of complaint. Viewed as a whole, we do not see any cause for uneasiness in the resolutions and opinions of the Pretoria Congress. Time must and will prove the great healer, and that spirit of conciliation which, ccming from the victor to the vanquished, has already done so much, may be rcliod upon to solve all riddles. As for organisation, it will, as 'The Times' says, have to bo met with oiganisation, and in the open arena of fair debate the loyal Progrcsiivist will prove felly equal to tho Afrikander. "At the "same time, there can be tolera"tion for those political ambitions opposed " to British supremacy which have been for " so long the fertile cause of dissension and " bloodshed."