Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1910. UNITED SOUTH AFRICA.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2786, 27 September 1910, Page 4

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1910. UNITED SOUTH AFRICA.

The first general election for the first Parliament of United South Africa was held on September 15 last, and resulted in many surprises It has been confidently predicted by the South African correspondents of Home newspapers who, doubtless, only reflected and repeated the predictions of the Press and politicians of that country, that Mr Botha would be returned to power by a substantial working majority in the new House. The only difference of opinion was as to the number of this majority. Possibly, too, these same prophets, as is their way, will, now that the electirns are over, continue to say " as we predicted." The Botha Government has been returned by a majority. Yet, in a very rtal sense these confident assertions have proved erroneous 'I hough the Botha's Govi rnment continues in power Mr Botha, spite of the prestige of his name and his great personal popularity, was defeated fcr Pretoria East, while no less than three other ministers had to suffer the like humiliation. On the othnr hand the success of the Unionists led by Dr Jameson*, Sir P. Fitzpatrick and Sir G. Farkar has been far better than their opponents believed possible. For example, the Capetown correspondent of the Manchester Guardian estimated that the state of parties at the declaration of the poll would probably lie as follows: Ministerialists 73, Opposition 4.8. As a guess this is not bad though the actual results were : Ministtrialists 67, Opposition 54. But what detracts from this correspondent's utterances are the comments that he in common with the tesult of them added to his estimates. He wrote " but it is safe to say that if there is any change in the figures which 1 have given it is not likely to b« in favour of the Opposition. It is, therefore, probable that when Parliament meets, the Ministry will have ample support behind it, so that it will be able to face its task without being impeded by the imminent sense of mortality." As we have said, writers of this stamp will have no difficulty in plucking victory out of defeat. They will forget a good deal, trusting that few will remember what they did say, and will triumph antly point to that part which reads "the ministry will have ample support behind it." And so they have for all party purposes; but what sort of a majority is it? Beyond question it is a dispirited majority, one torn with differences, and with an imminent sense of mortality hanging over it. At this Lour of wriiing it is still unsettled whether Mr Botha will continue in office or do what he refused to do six months ago—join Dr Jameson and form a coalition ministry. The elections, in fact, have proved a bird blow to the sanguine hopes of the Nationalists and have given the Unionists fre h heart The reason is not hard to seek. Mr Botha and Dr Jameson have very much in common. Each is loyal to the Imperial Union, each is for equal justice and equal rights, for a white South Africa, land settlement, railway co-ordination, an adequate defence system and so on. Where they diffeied, or rather why Mr Botha would not unite with Dr Jameson was because he was hampered by old associations and old ties. He preferred to stand in with his Dutch friends in Orangia, believing he could bring them into line with himself. Hence it was that the redoubtable Mr Hertzog, whose educa'ion pt-licy has driven all English teachers out of the Orangia schools, and Mr Fischkr were given ministerial rank. This was intensely disappointing to Mr Botha's many admirers. I cau and do trust the Premier, said Dr Jameson, but I do not trust his colleagues, nor do I think he can whip them into line. The ehief election cry therefore, towards the end, became one of raoe, of Dutch versus English, though there were those of each nationality on either side. Dr Jameson and the Opposition were charged with being the obedient servants of the mining proprietors and great investors, and Air Botha with being the too subservient friend of the reactionaries. There can be little doubt that Mr Botha's unfortunate decision to stand in with the scarcely veiled antagonists of Imperial Union, hoping, of course to convert them, was the primary cause of his downfall. We use this lust word advispdly. Mr Botha, though a seat will be soon found for him, was beaten in the electorate he had chosen, three of his colleagues shared the same fate and the Opposition did far better than their,

enemies had looked for. His thirteen clear majority of all parties (the actual composition of the New House being Ministerialists 67, Opposition 37, Independents 13, Labor 4), is obtained by the inclusion of those Orangia followers of Mr Hertzog, a statesman who is largely to blame for the collapse of his leader. And the Prime Minister does not like it. He has made a costly mistake and he has to pay the customiry price. Whether he will carry on or reform his Ministry by a coalition with the Jameson contingent we cannot say. To coalesce would be to throw over that Dutch element on which he depends and who have largely made him what be is. To tight with them, for them, and against the Unionists woul I be to return to that deplorable state of racial conflict which he so splendidly and justly denounces. South Africa, however, must fight out her own battles.