The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia. Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1919. SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 2 September 1919, Page 4

The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia. Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1919. SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS.

The death; of General Botha!y; at the present stage of (the Empires-s life is most regrettable, and turns; Jhe attend tion towards matters political affecting the South African IJnip>7 general Botha'sstrength .as-astatesman lay iii ihe f act ;that •he S recognised clearly

I that the great Empire which,' rightly * or wrongly, had entered into war with a his beloved country twenty years ago, a and against which the General had c fought a gallant fight, was neverthe--1 less magnanimous, and after the war t ■ had given into, the hands of the lead- ,. ers of its former foes a system of conI stitutional government which the ma-

'■j::'J9rit^:;6f/';sTOple-I,iii:;'tHe-.\Uiii6n'-;b€>lieve ;; tb be, more democratic and^progressive H ; tton/the» Tyarious States living under old. conditions could : nave deviseci for ' themselvesj After liisv return ;fr6in the .: P^aceConferences; iir which he' and his friend ; : General ®muts-^b the lat- ; : ter the world,, ;; owes ,;■ the 'form in which the' League of Nations covenant stands—had taken an important part, i [General; Botha's ; firat thought was ■to 7 impress uponVthe: people of the TJnion the need for South;. Africa remaining a part of the British Empire. ;'*?*. -V*?1 sheer roily,?' he/ said at the official welcome back to the teaders early last .. month;;; "to /talk -about racialism in the South African Union. They; had closedthe book of the; past, and had opened a hew; book;^ ' Looking forward, the; late Prime Minister urgedi^the development of 'industry aiid better and cheaper shipping f acili-* ties. TheHime had^^ arrived for aicoitof ;the to discuss tn<?^'question of a Dominions' shipping Bervice.'> The faithfulness of the man and his passionate desire for unity expressed in a recent j cartoon ; drawn-at the time when the Hertzdg Nationalists • were seeking to hav e their demands adopted by the Peace Conference.;: The cartponislb/ whose drawing appeared in the Cape Times, resurrebted the;,old.story of Solomons Judgment w|ip two women claimed; one baby. Pllsident Wilson occupies the seat of Solomon; General Botha and Mr Hertzog take the place ;of the two women; the baby is the j South African pnion. President Wilson is . depicted fis handing the child to General Botha, and underneath: are . the words: "Give it to the mother who j would keep/it undivided." It is most unfortunate that General Botha has not been spared^ to guide the growing child through the next few' years, especially in view ; of the fact that Lord MUner, Secretary of State, is1 by no means a favorite among the South African people. He is regarded very differently from Lord Selborhe, whose knowledge of farming and a clear conception of their needs enabled- him during his term as High Commissioner to trust the Dutch of South Africa and to recommend a larger measure of selfgovernment. Yet Lord Milner when High Commissioner did important work for South Africa, and the only objection to him as Colonial Secretary appears to be that he is regarded as too conservative an Imperialist. It is in this respect that General Botha will be greatly missed, for he was a splendid Imfc between the Union and the Colonial Office. General Smuts is probably the only man who can become as good a link, for Mr John X. Merriman, enjoying as he does the respect of all parties, is a very strong conservative, :and his methods, allowingthat the country were willing to follow them, might make the position j

very difficult for a successor. Moreover, Mr Merriman is nearly 79 years of age, and oould not be expected to stand the strain which the next few years will evolve. If, as reported, General Smuts succeeds his late chief, his task will be no light one, for, even if the Nationalists have received a setback by the failure of the Hertzog. mission, there are enormous difficulties to be faced in the labor field, where the recent strikes indicated the seriousness of the situation, due in part, maybe, to the machinations of the Bolshevists, Avho through their propaganda have been charged with working . mischief. The settlement of the troubles on the Rand is made still more difficult owing to the racial antagonism, which is far from being subdued. Should the Union fall into the hands of the Nationalists, Cape Colony and Natal would be strongly in favor of remaining within the Empire, and probably they would be, in continuous conflict with the northern States. Lord Selborne recently stated that unity was most necessary, and separation would he followed by civil war within a very short time. ■ ' I '■ ■