SOUTH AFRICA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19468, 29 October 1937, Page 13

SOUTH AFRICA

RACIAL PROBLEMS PROSPERITY FROM COLD GOOD DEFENCE SYSTEM Although South Africa was faced with serious internal problems, gold was bringing it great prosperity, which might be expected to continue so long as the present price was maintained, said the Rev. C. E. S. Bull, an Anglican clergyman from the Cape Province, in an interview in Auckland. Mr. Bull visited New Zealand in the winter of 1936, and has come again with the intention of fishing for some months this summer. Ordained before the Great War, he served in France and East Africa as a combatant officer in the Dorset Regiment, attaining the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Later he commanded a regiment of the South African Defence Force. For a number of years before and after the war he was bn the staff of the Diocesan College, Eondebosch, a school for boys.

Sbltth Africa to-day was a land of great contrasts, especially of wealth and poverty, Mr. Bull said. Gold production amounted to something over £70,000,000 a year, and the whole of this sum, except about 20 per cent whicji was due in dividends to English shareholders, went to swell the wealth Of the. Uiiion. The Government derived a very large revenue from gold and was using it to carry out public works, improve defence and encourage other industries. Fruit and grain growing and wool production were all being subsidised. Race and Class Problems If,the price of gold fell the effect on South Africa would be tremendous, but such a happening was not in sight. So ldng as the price kept up and gold remained a medium of exchange, the Union could look forward to the future with confidence. Four major internal problems had to be faced, and were a long way from solution. These were the racial situation as between the Dutch and British, the economic and political status of -3he natives, who outnumbered the whites by five to one; the coloured: people, comprising EurOpean-negro! half-castes and Indians, and lastly the i "poor whites.” The racial and native problems were too complex to be briefly described, j The Indians were mainly the concern : of Natal* to which further migration had been, prohibited. The half-castes were difficult to help, as they were poorly endowed, both mentally and physically. Efforts to raise the status of the “poor whites” had not been very successful. This class wail mostly fit only for the sOrt of work that was performed by natives, and many members of it were doing relief labour at 6s 6d a day. Adequate Defence Measures tToo much importance should not be placed on the cabled statement lately made by Mr. O. Pirow, the Minister of Defence, concerning South Africa’s attitude if Great Britain became involved in war. The statement had been made with an election in prospect, and really meant nothing more than, that the Union Government would exercise its right to choose whether it would or would not send troops overseas. Such an attitude was essentially the same as that of Australia and New Zealand, which, like South Africa, realised that their life-blood flowed 1 along the Empire's trade routes. The defence of South Africa was well organised, Mr. Bull considered. A large air force was being built up, and there was a strong military staff, with a territorial brigade in each province and the requisite artillery and other specialist services. The second line consisted of a revived commando system; . including rifle clubs. The whole force should be capable of dealing with .any raid that might be attempted, though not, of course, with an invasion on a large scale. The Union was responsible for maintaining the land defences of the naval base at Simonstown.

A National Roads Board had been set up to modernise highways throughout the Union, and it was probable that the strategic value of roads along the coastline was being taken into consideration.