The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1917. SOUTH AFRICA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 23, 21 August 1917, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1917. SOUTH AFRICA.

The South African soldier-states-man General Smuts, has been making his mark in Britain by iiis recent speeches, two in particular having brought him into much prominence. On one occasion lie dwelt on the development 'of the British commonwealth of nations and on the other he forecasted the future of South Africa, in such terms that it will rank with the most memorable utterances delivered in Britain in recent years. Leading English journals refer to the speeches as educative in the truest sense. The future of South Afn-a must have its great effect on the Empire's welfare, especially because of its teeming millions of blacks. General Smuts believes that the black races .should be allowed to develop along their own lines so far as is possible and that there should not be any attempt to give them constitutions and governmental forms fashioned after those of the white man because they

are in many ways most primitive. [.He holds that the African natives' % nwn form of government are those b ß y suited to their conditions. As thev develop they can choose other forms' suited to their progress. He would encourage them to develop on parallel lines and discourage all idea of assimilation- Vor .V wisely another grave question was dealt with General Smuts who- indicated the real danger of allowing *l"' black races tn come under the dominance of any race which bases its system of government on militarism. I&tablJshing police was one thing hut establishing mill-" tary forces and drilling' and arming them on modern lines would lie the ■ grossest crime against all civilisation land humanity. Events have clearly shown that Germany had determined on this course, and had undoubtedly, I in the German way which the world j row knows 100 well, intended to gain I the Belgian Congo and the Portuguese , possessions and set to work and organise under German officers a huge

native arm t v, an army which was to swell tin- Tureo-Hunnish hordes until the dreams of brutal dominance which obscessed pan-Germanism became possible in the smashing of right, freedom and justice. Instead of taking such a course, General Smuts emphasised the need of statesmanship in dealing with .African problems. The aim which he and General Botha have set before them in respect to the sub-continent is to achieve a national unity which shall be neither British nor Dutch, but primarily South Afri-j can—to create a new nation from a

blend of different European stocks. This problem of racial unity is being solved in the midst of the much larger question of the black environment of South Africa—for it is still essentially a black man's country. While strongly averse to the intermarriage of white and black—"the superior civilising race must not be lost in the quicksands of African blood" he asserts, he rightly holds that "in all our dealings with the natives we must build on the bedrock of the Christian moral code." It is on such lines that British advance it, Africa has been made, but the German way has been utterly different. When the war is ended no real peace can come to Africa, or the world, if Germany is once more permitted to set upon the evil courses which have lollowed in the wake of German colonisation on the Dark Continent. Africa must be freed for ever from German tyranny.