AN IMPERIAL OBJECT-LESSON

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2365, 22 January 1915, Page 4

AN IMPERIAL OBJECT-LESSON

Now that the South African rebellion has been finally quelled, it is plain to all the world that it was an evidence, not of the weakness, but of the strength of the British Empire— a strength that extends even into its remotest and most recently acquired territories. The South African Government is free to give its undivided .attention to the campaign affainaf German South-West Ahil for a small minority of rebels lurking as outlaws in the German colony, the last vestiges of active rebellion have disappeared. With the death of Beyers, the capture of Da Wet, and the capture or voluntary surrender of a great majority of their deluded followers, the rebellion is definitely at an end, and South Africa is in the same position .as the other British Dominions, working in loyal co-pperation with the rest of the Empire common Imperial ends. It is the British habit to accept great events and deyelopments ot this character more or less as n matter o£ course, but to the German conspirators who were instrumental in fomenting the rebellion its out come must have been an unpleasant disappointment. Their surprise at the failure of their efforts to lisht and fan the fires of rebellion in * country so lately added to the British iimpire is, from their point of view not altogether unwarranted It would be a great mistake to Regard the rebellion m South Africa and its suppression as events of minor importance and significance.' A truer estimate will find in the manner in which the loyal populatton of

South Africa faced and overcame this great emergency a triumphant vindication of the British Imperial policy which enemies of tho Empire arei now at so much pains to discredit and condemn. This policy is very far from having reached any final stage in its development. On tho contrary, the Empire is probably at. the beginning of a new era in which the sphere of Britannic co-operation will be extended slowly, step by step, as the necessity arises. But if British Imperial policy still, has to undergo many developments, it is already following more or less definite lines, and is producing positive fruits, of ■Which tho most positive of all to-day is the spectacle of a united and loyal South Africa—its loyalty all' tho sounder for having been tested in a rebellion based upon foreign intrigue and lingering traces of race-hatred. It is only a little over a decade since a great part of the Dutch population of what is now the South African Union fought unitedly against the British Empire as ( alien enemies. Yet to-day these former enemies are so sensible of the benefits of Imperial citizenship that they unhesitatingly went to war with their own rebellious kinsmen rather than be false and disloyal to the Empire and the free Constitution with which it has endowed their oountry. It was a conflict which divided men who bad fought shoulder to shoulder against the British ten vears earlier, but South Africa dia its duty unquestioningly, and without external aid. Such a state of affairs is OQUsJIy creditable to South Africa and to the Empire of which it forms part. It would be foolish to attempt to minimise the magnitude of the re'bellion or to extenuate the treaohery of the handful of Dutch irreooncilables who were its leaders, but the fact that it was a conspiracy headed by men some of whom, at least, are animated by an intolerant hatred 1 of the British race, serves now only to emphasise the splendid loyalty displayed by the Union Government and the vast majority of the population. It is estimated that there were aB many as twenty thousand rebels in.the field, but the vigorous measures taken by the Union Government gave them no opportunity to effect Si concentration of their strength, and their oareer was a brief one of piMgo and brigandage. When the rebellion broke' out the Prime Minister (General Botha) was preparing to leave for German South-West Africa, but he fnstantly dispatched forces to deal with Du i Wet, and took the field himsolf against Beyers. ■ In suppressing the rebellion the Union Government did not rely entirely upon military force. While no attempt was made to palter with the traitors who figured as ringleaders it was recognised that many of their followers were deluded and misled, and a proclamation was issued offering terms the rank and file provided they laid down their arms before November 21. Many rebels were thus induced to como in, and in Bome instances whole commandos laid down their arms. The later operations consisted mainly of the pursuit of scattered parties, and particularly of the leaders of the rebellion, whoso offence was too gross to be pardoned. By _ their prompt and determined •action the Union Government and the loyal population of South Africa have afforded a most striking proof of the solidarity of the Empire, and demonstrated that British Imperial unity is a living reality not to be shaken by treason and conspiracy.