SOUTH AFRICAN LETTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21360, 13 June 1931, Page 20

SOUTH AFRICAN LETTER

(From Our Own Correspondent.) DURBAN, May 6. THE DRAKENSBERG TRAGEDY. The fatal crashing of Commander Glen Kidson’s Puss Moth in flying over the Drakensberg yesterday is a great blow to South African aviation. Kidson and Gladstone, who met instantaneous death, were two of the finest personalities who had ever visited this country. Commander Kidson had made a slashing attask on the Imperial Airways service, and advocated more modern aeroplanes. Had all been well, Kidson was jjoing to fly from Nairobi to London in two days at the end of the present month, calling at Cairo and Rome. His body is to be sent Home for interment in Radnorshire. A memorial service will be held on Sunday next at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Johannesburg. , THE NATIVE AND THE WHITE MAN. There has undoubtedly been a marked change in the attitude of the Native towards the white man during the last decade. And this was emphasised by Mr H. M. Taberer in giving evidence on Tuesday last before the Native Economic Commission at Johannesburg. Mr Taberer is chairman of the Native Recruiting Corporation, and has an exceptionally intimate knowledge of the feelings of the natives and of their outlook. This is what he said: “The native no longer looks at the white mau or at the Government as his protector. The natives no longer look to the white man for guidance and assistance, because they seem to feel that the administration of the country is directed more against them than in their favour. They look on the colour bar legislation and at the attempts to take away the franchise as distinct steps against them. “ The native is under the impression that the white man is * out ’ to look after himself, and the native therefore feels that he must look after himself to the best of his abiliy. Economic pressure, and the fact that white and black races often come into competition, have led to a great deal of race prejudice., Yet there are many white men who have of late years been studying the native position, and who, as a result of their studies, have become good friends of the natives.” Contrasted with this, it is reassuring to have the happy impressions received by our American visitor, Dr Jesse Jones, who is engaged in a lecturing tour in South Africa at the present time. In an address to a well-attended meeting of the Gamma Sigma Club in the Bantu Men’s Social Centre, Johannesburg, on Monday last, Dr A. B. Xuraa presiding, Dr Jones said that everywhere he went he was struck by the tremendous change that had taken place since 1921 in race relations. Everywhere he found people speaking and thinking of the problem of the relations between white and black. He found at Bloemfontein thiit both British and Dutch were eager to learn more about native affairs. This awakening among Europeans was an indication that a change was coming over Africa. He was more than ever hopeful that which at one time was regarded as the Dark Continent was becoming a continent of great opportunities. The presence of the white man in Africa was a great boon to the peoples of Africa. Dr Jones said he was not blind to the difficulties which the presence of the white man had created, but, if they took the long view they would find that those difficulties were balanced by the good things of civilisation. Dr Jones represents the Carnegie Corporation and the Phelps-Stoke Fund. Certainly the native population of Natal have every reason for gratitude to the white man. In 1859, during the nascent days of the colony, there were but 150,000 natives in Natal, and of these no less that ninety-nine hundredths were refugees on the soil owing their very lives to British protection. The refugees came from Zululand, where, the bloodthirsty Ohaka had held unbridled sway for so many years. Thanks to the protection of the white man, the Natal natives have since been unmolested and have increased in numbers until they now number over a million. ANTARCTIO"wHALING FLEETS. South Africa, and particularly Capetown and Durban, will lose many thousands of pounds as a result of the decision of the Norwegian Whaling Association to lay up its Antarctic whaling fleets next season. During the past season South Africa has captured a large portion of the Antarctic coal traffic formerly belonging to Britain and South America. Coal exported to the Antarctic from Durban since the- beginning of December totalled, roughly, 60,000 tons, which, added to the amount of bunkers and so forth gave a total of South African coal used for Antarctic whaling of close on 80,000 tons.. During the next season traffic with the Antarctic' will be negligible. In addition to coal, the fleets took large quantities of supplies and food stores from South Africa. One of the most serious things will be, however, that South Africa will not be used as a wintering resort this year, .and that Norwegian whalers will head straight for home, there to remain till whaling is resumed in two seasons’ time. The revenue received from whalers by the harbour administration for docking, dry docking, and'other similar services was considerable. Several non-Norwegian whaling firms are still to operate in the Antarctic next season, it is stated in Durban on good authority, requirements will be met largely from South Africa.