MAY BE PRELUDE TO RACIAL CLASH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18787, 17 June 1929, Page 13

MAY BE PRELUDE TO RACIAL CLASH.

(Special to the 44 Star.”) AUCKLAND, June 16. From the British point of view, the South African situation is very disquieting. The old racial antagonism between Boer and Briton has never died down, and, according to the illuminating comments on the elections made by the Rev W. Lawson Marsh, the return to power of General Hertzog may be a prelude to a clash. Mr Marsh, who is minister of St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Devonport, was four years and a half in South Africa, and is thoroughly familiar with its problems. He is far from optimistic over the result of the elections for the Union Parliament. 44 The outstanding feature in South Africa to-day,” said Mr Marsh, “is the native problem. The black population stands to whites as 5,000,000 to 1,500,000, and everyone realises that no greater difficulty faces any modern state than this native question in South Africa. The broad differences between the Nationalist policy initiated by General Hertzog. and that of the South African Party of which General Smuts is the leader, are what might be expected from the traditional attitude of the Boers and the British to the natives. | At the present time, the status of the native which is laid down in the Act of Union differs in various provinces. In the Cape, where British ideals are predominant, the native enjoys a franchise on a property and educational basts. In other provinces there is no native franchise. General Hertzog proposes to cancel the Cape franchise, at the same time instituting a system of indirect representation in Parliament by white men elected from a native council. The possible loss of their civil rights has aroused much feeling among the natives in the Cape, with reactions in other provinces, and feeling is more acute to-day than ever before. “ Allied to the franchise proposals of General Hertzog is a segregation policy. That some measure of segregation is desirable no one will dispute. Contact between white and black has so far been disastrous for the natives. Competition in tho unskilled labour market is impossible for a white, but no native is allowed to follow a skilled trade, and it is not generally known that no native can own land in South Africa so that he is simply a hewer of wood' and a drawer of water. General Hert zog’s policy of segregating natives is a policy of despair. The one cry of his party is for a 4 White South Africa, and any means would be used to accomplish that end. Mr Tielraan Roos, for instance, frankly declares for a policy of suppression. General Smuts, on the contrary, would seek by traditional British methods to enable the native population to work out its own salvation alongside the Europeans. In this connection it should be noted that there are already some native areas administered directly under the Crown, such as Swaziland and Basutoland with Transkei under the Union Government, which are in effect segregation areas. It is significant that in these native states the greatest apprehension exists as to their future under the Nationalist Government. Attempts have already been made to bring these areas within the Union in order that they may be dealt with under a general scheme of native legislation. This is the danger point in the present situation.

“ Now that General Hertzog appear* to be assured of an independent majority, he may press forward his native policy in defiance of any veto by the Imperial Government. It must be remembered that Great Britain still retains the right to veto any native legislation. If General Hertzog did adopt this attitude, it would raise, in a way peculiarly favourable to Dutch feeling, the whole question of secession from the British connection, and it is for this reason that the results of the election are full of danger. From the standpoint of the Empire it also explains the recent bitter controversy over the na tional flag. For the South African na tives were solid for the Union Jack, which to them appears to be the only defence of liberties that they have enjoyed so far. “ The result of the election/' said Mr Marsh, 44 also confirms the impression that South Africa is becoming year by year a Dutch preserve. The British population is actually decreasing, and that is mainly due to the competition of Dutch labour in the mines where there are to-day practically no British miners, and to the deliberate policy of the Nationalist Government of squeeaing out the British from the public services. Three years ago the police force, once predominantly Brit ish, was So per cent Dutch, and recent events suggest that the process is continuing for good or for ill. We have to face the prospect of a South Africa predominantly Dutch rather than British in ideals and government.”