Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of a Century.] TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1900. CECIL RHODES THE MASTERBUILDER OF THE EMPIRE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6531, 2 January 1900, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Quarter of a Century.] TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1900. CECIL RHODES THE MASTERBUILDER OF THE EMPIRE.

Thekk is a man now shut up iti Kim- ■ ley who will take rank in history before oven Wnrrou Hastings and Lord Olive as a master-builder of 5 the British Empire, For twenty years past his ideal has been to paint the map of Africa red, from Gapetown to Cairo; and as a grown man he is now engaged in fulfilling the dream of his youth. It was in the early seventies, when he was a diamond sorter at the Kimberloy . mines, that he pointed out to a friend the great and then unexplored northern territory and said, " Thats my dream—nil English." Amongst, the pioneers of Greater Britain ho takes a premier position. To him it was nothing to become a nionacti of gold and diamond mines, a millionaire of millionaires; excepting so far as the wealth he acquired has enabled him to carry out his " project of extending the British Empire in Africa, lu African politics thore have baen virtually two • men, Kruger the Boer and Rhodes the Briton, both men of remarkable j ability and persistency and both ! meu of distinct ideals. Jvruger f has fought all bis lifo for a Boer supremacy, with Rhodes as his determined and successful adversary both in the Held aud at tho Couucil table. Both liavo acquired ouormous territories, but of the two, Ilbodes has secured tho lurger and more valuable countries. Ic has been a duel between Krugor and Rhodes for African dominion, 1 and tho ultimate victory will probably rest with the man who is now beseiged in Kimberley, but who has on more than one occasion been in a still more disadvantageous position during his advouturous career; When ho annexed tho Mata- ! bolecouutry.aud laid the foundations at Rhodesia, he seemed to bear a charmed life in the midst of imminent daugor. Bulawayo, now a civilised aud progressive towu, was once tlio capital of a native kingdom. It was when the Cape Government : refused to annex Matabeleland aud the Imperial Government hesitated to colonise it that Rhodes by means of a chartered company added to the Empiro a magnificent territory sixtimes the size of New Zealand and commenced opening it up to the world by railroad and telegraph line. Moro thau this, the racial antagonism between Briton and Boer has disappeared in Rhodesia under the wise rule of Cecil Rhodes and both nationalties work together in harmony. In statecraft Kruger is not ' to be compared to Cecil Rhodes for ] tho latter cau secure the confidence and support of the English as well as j of Dutch settlers. The Matabelos, , too, do biui homage aud call him , " The bull that separates the Oght- | ing bulls," Cecil Rhodes is a great f maker of peace in South Africa, 1 although bold as a lion when oght- < ing is the order of the day. ' Dumas nover indented a romance j more marvellous thau the career of f Cecil Rhodes. We havo bad two ( heroes in the latter part of this cob- l tury; tho one was General Gordon, 1 the other Rhodes, and singularly e euough they were intimate as friends, ( and both were willing to giye their r lives for Africa. Even the Boer ad- " mires Rhodes, aud culls him ■' The J Englishman with the Afrikander ? heart." Individually, it is said that r Rhodes respects the Dutch settlers, £ aud when tho present war is over he I

will, wo b(3liovti,bouorao ut puaconiukor botweon hoslilu rucus.

In person Cecil Rboden w doscribed ob a big, heavily-built, iudoleutlookiut? man, eomo six feet in height, careloßßly dressod. Ho possossus a atroug, solid-looking, auuburnt and ruddy face, with dreamy groy oyos, ut largo intollootuul bond, a strong chin aud lirm mouth. Tho faco, howovor, boaru thu dooply marked linos of arduoiiß life, tho life of ono who has greatly dared and flnfforod. Tho Bido-fucs in Raid to bo remarkable, as haying tlio massive strength, impervious to ordinary omotions, of some old Roman Emperor. Singularly enough, too, the Hon. J. Chainborliiin has ab a Roman Emperor prolilo, I'lie life work of Oeoil Rhodes is the federation of tho Anglo-Saxon ruco in South and Central Africa, and who does not wish him success in his great undertaking. Kvon if ho wore cut off 10-moirow his work would still live, mid coming generations would honour and rovoro his naiuo. Tho work has roached such a stago that it must go on ! His policy has become the policy of tho Empire, and if ho foil in tho struggle tho Empire would comploto his labours. But of all tho valuable lives now at stake in Africa his is tho lifo of greatest moment to tho Empire and all will hope that tho master-builder will bo spared to crown as peucemakor and reconciler thegreatwork of painting red tho map of Africa. Ho is alike renowned as warrior, statesman, explorer and Imperialist. In tho preseut day tboro is no greater Englishman.