THE LATENT FORCES OF AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3093, 25 May 1917, Page 5

THE LATENT FORCES OF AFRICA

GENERAL SMUTS POINTS TO BLACK MENACE QUESTION FOR THE PEACE SETTLEMENT V London, May 23. At a banq.uet, in honour of General Smuts there was a distinguished gathering of notables connected with South' Africa. General Smuts, in a epeech, contended that the policy of national; unity, consistent with the of traditions, was iu ■ the best interests: of South Africa, and she would build' up a race move powerful and etronger than if she had remained apart. Thei policy of keeping the two races distinct' was arrant nonsense. Dealing with the difficulties of the native problem, he said! South Africa was trying to solve it by! a system of self-goTernment for tho native races, similar to the -white man's system. The experiment might take a 1 century to achieve good results,, but. it; was the best they could initiate with ther present mixture of white and black.

The war had opened his eyes to thej enormous military material in East ; Africa. ■ The great German plan forbuilding iip a Central African. Empire would have embraced one of the most valuable parts of the world, in which it' was possible to train one of the most powerful armies the world had ever, seen. The possibility of training black armies would present a problem of great importance, not only to the Empire but to civilisation. He suggested that the remedy to prevent the menace to South and Central Africa would be to forbid military training of. the' natives in any, peace settlement proposals. He pointed out that our. possessions in East Africa not only gave us through land communication from one end oi Africa to the other, but assured the safety of the Cape and Red Sea roruee— Ans.-K.Z. Cable Assn. .

GERM-INFECTED SWEETS FROJt ATJSTBIAN AEBOPLAKES. (Eec. May 25, 1 a.m.) Rome, May 24. Austrian aviators flying over Ferrara threw sweets containing the, bacilli o£ cholera. The authorities ate covering all tie wells, fearing that Die Austrians will infect the water supply.—Aus.-N Z. Cable Assn. ...'.■ '