SOUTH AFRICA

Evening Star, Issue 19274, 12 June 1926, Page 18

SOUTH AFRICA

THE ASIATIC PROBLEM [By Frederick Stubbs, F.R.Q.S.] The South African GovornmentVlndiau Bill, introduced in the latter part of the present year (1926) and bitterly resented in India, suggests a brief review of the whole Asiatic problem, affecting as it does not only South Africa, but also East Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The magnitude of the problem is shown by the fact that while in Canada there are only 12,000 Asiatics to 9,000,000 Europeans, in Australia 800.000 Asiatics to 6,800,000 Europeans, in New Zealand 600 Asiatics to 1,400,000 Europeans, in South Africa there are 160,000 Asiatics to 1.600.000 Europeans, with, 6,000,000 natives. And what makes the problem more difficult of solution is that, of the 162,000 Indians 103,000 wore born within the Union. The immigration began in 1860, when largo numbers of Indians were introduced, chiefly from Madras, in order to work the sugar plantations, and the majority of the present-day Indians are descended from these. As time wont on, the white* races in South Africa realised how serious, a mistake they had made. The Indians that had been introduced with the assistance of the Natal Government rapidly increased, and those still in India claimed as British subjects the right of entrance. Both geographically and climatically Africa offered a epleudid field for Asiatic expansion. The future of South Africa as a whole for the white races was threatened; they would in time be outworked and undersold by the Asiatics, and the struggles and sacrifices and labors of tho past century would go for nothing. Then camo repressive and exclusive legislation. The reader will recall the fierce struggle between the Government and Mr Ghandi, who theu represented the Indian population. Eventually tho Government won, Gandhi was deported, and to-day erery Asiatic is a prohibited immigrant. But what of those who had been invited and were brought over? What cf those who wore South African norn ? How could these be deported? Here, certainly, the Indians bad reason cn their side. THE PRESENT POSITION. Tho present position is that though no more immigrants are admitted the Indians aro increasing both in numbers and wealth. Their birth rate is fifty-six per 1,000, as against twentytwo per 1,000 of Europeans. In Durban (as in the Transvaal also) the Indians own about £1,000,000 worth of rateable property, and out of 270 tailors in the city only fifty aro white, while the Indians do nearly half the furniture making and printing. Some Indians employ white women. Largo numbers are, of course, coolies, laborers, domestic servants, and to these the European races have no objection. The Indian laborer is an exceedingly useful man in the sugar plantations and in the factories and workshops. He is not as powerfully built as the Bantu, but he is more willing to work. Many Indians, however, aro not content to be laborers; they become artisans, storekeepers, clerks, and thus enter into direct competition with the white man, and owing to their simpler and cheaper mode of living are able in many cases to drive him out. Several thousands are engaged in the tailoring, furniture-mak-ing, and printing trades, and I lielievo are steady and reliable —but they undersell the white man. In tho small towns and suburbs of Natal the retail grocery and provision trade is almost monopolised by the Indian. He works for less money, sells more cheaply, , is more willing to meet the requirements of tho natives, has more patience with them. In these towns a commercial traveller can do no business until he has given the Indian an assessed amount towards the upkeep of the mosque. Hundreds of Indians are also engaged as hawkers and market gardeners. POSITION IN NATAL. The province most affected is Natal. Out of the 162,0U0 Indians in the Union 142,000 live in that State, as against 140,000 Europeans. In Durban alone there are 30,000, and, as I have shown, they are increasing rapidly. One cannot be surprised, therefore, that tho people of Natal fear that unless strong measures are adopted to check it the Indian increase in numbers and wealth, in economic and political influence will result in conditions that would become intolerable to white men. Asiatics by their greater industry, frugality, and lower standard of comfort would drive white labor off the field. THE SOLUTION. Is the European typo of civilisation to be preserved, and how ? Various measures aro being urged. One is that a minimum wage should bo enacted, it being believed that wages being equal tho employer would choose the white man. But this would only affect the laboring and artisan classes. Others suggest that the Indian should bo confined to certain areas or be compelled to adopt European standards or living; that he should be confined to unskilled labor; that Europeans should refuse to deal at Indian stores; that traders’ licenses should be withheld, etc. All these measures have been advocated: some of them, 't is obvious, would be impossible of enforcement. Those that aro possible, it seems to me as a sympathetic observer, are the following : 1. Except in certain restricted areas, the Asiatic might bo prevented from acquiring real property. 2. While you cannot compel the Asiatic to dress and feed as an Englishman does, it would bo possible to enforce certain sanitary rules, minimum space, etc. 3. If restricted to manual labor 1 there is no doubt that the most objectionable class of Indians, tho storekeepers and money lenders, would voluntarily leave the country. 4. Those convicted in the courts for serious offences might be deported. Tho Government already gives a free passage and £lO per head to those who agree to repatriate themselves, but this measure is both cosblv and ineffective. If, in addition to the repatriation bonus, such measures as above ware adopted, it seems to me the Asiatic problem might be solved without any great hardship to the Asiatic. Tho poorer men, the coolies, would remain; the wealthier classes would return to India. ASIATIC CLAIMS. The Indians, then, as I have shown, form a largo proportion of the nonnative population, and have greatly increased in wealth. As a consequence they claim that all disability should be removed. At present, e.g., they have a municipal vote, but not a Parliamentary ; in Durban, though they pay rates, they are not permitted to use tho public library; an Indian mtiy rot marry a white woman; and there are other restrictions. The majority of them are not Indian subjects, but South African; why then, it is asked, should they not be treated as equals P When a European told an Indian that he should clear out to his own country, he replied, “Where were you born?"

vou go to your own country. I was born in Durban.” EUROPEAN REPLY. On the other hand, the Europeans declare that to grant equal privileges to Asiatics would be suicidal. lor the white man, it was not simply a question of privilege but of existence. There was a lack of cleanliness and sanitation on the part of the Asiatic; in Durban, in one row of twenty-five houses, 674 people are living, the men greatly outnumbering tho women, thus occasioning gross immorality; tho Indians resent inequality of treatment, but what of India itself where there aro nearly 50,000,000 treated as “untouchable?” It was the white man that by long years of desperate fighting, suffering, and labor, conquered South Africa, were they now to hand it over to the control of Asiatics that they may impose their own low ff standard of civilisation upon the natives? It was only the presence of the white man that made the existence of the Indian possible; were the white man to withdraw, or to give his permission, the 6,000,000 natives would soon put the- Indian out of business. Such is tho Asiatic problem as it was presented to me. I am satisfied, that it can be solved only by force majoure. It is an unfortunate position, but tho country has been won by the white man, and he has the right to govern it according to his own ideas rather than tho Indians. If ho restricts the Indian ho also protects him, and the same may be said in regard to tho native. Along tho lines that with sympathy and sincere goodwill I have ventured to suggest, I believe a reasonable settlement might be found.