THE NEGRO'S HOPE

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1919, Page 16

THE NEGRO'S HOPE

PALESTINE OF HIS RACE

ACTIVITY IN BASUTOLAND

COLOURED PEOPLE'S ASPIR-

ATIONS.

"The hope of the black race and the centre of all negro inspiration, intrigue, and activity is Basutoland."

This concise statement represents the viewpoint and experience of the white settlers of South Africa concerning the 10,300 square miles of fertile plains and wild mountain country that comprise Basutoland, a nominally independent native State of South 'Africa, and its same 400,000 inhabitants, writes Cyril V. Briggs in The Crusader Magazine, a publication for coloured people.

Basutoland lies near tho heart of the South African Union, and comprises much of the best agricultural land in the sub-continent, as the southern end of Africa is usually called. It is surrounded on every side by so-called "white man's territory," where white men' in varying minorities wantonly ex ercise the rule of force over large native populations; yet, to all .intents and purposes, Basutoland is an independent negro State. The country belongs exclusively to the Basutos. There, are fewer than 1000 whites in all the territory, and these are denied the right to own land. No white man is allowed within the country, except as a special act_ of grace, and no white man can Temain beyond a certain time, except with the express permission of the chiefs. The Basutos acknowledge the suzerainty of Great Britain (the King of England is represented by an Imperial Commissioner, who ■•,resides at .Maseru, the capital), but the- chiefs administer their own affairs, and owe no allegiance to the South African Government. Save for the slender tie which, binds them to Britain, they are an absolutely independent and autonomous community. Basutoland is the one place in South Africa where the black man's power is unquestioned and supreme. _It is the one place in all Africa, with the conditional exception of Liberia, where native education is fostered and encouraged. < In shape and configuration Basutoland is a fortress. The Drakensberg, the _ superior mountain range of South Africa, forms a eemi-circle along al-' most one-half of its frontier, extending from the source of the Caledon to that point.of the Orange where the river frontier ends. Within them lie the subsidiary . ranges commonly known as the Malnti, a term signifying in the native language simply "chain of mountains." They traverse a great deal of territory, so that the general elevation of the plateau upon which the bulk of the population resides varies from 5000 and 7000 feaC. - Rising like a gargantuan Gibraltar from the lower circumscribing levels, its top is a magnificently' fertile tableland. Its climate is one of the finest in the world. Pure atmosphere, invigorating breezes, a crisp winter, anH abundance of. sunshine combine to make it exhilarating and attractive. As might be expected of a country co situated and with such surroundings, it is picturesque in the extreme, and is prolific in springs and beautiful waterfalls—one of the glorie3 of Basutoland—and well watered from end to end.

The Basuto system of government. is an admixture of patriarchalism and Socialism. Lancj is divided on the communal principle and 36 inalienable. Many of the chiefs are enormously rich; they are all wealthy and powerful men. The Chief Paramount is loyally reverenced by his' subordinates and in his hands is 'focussed the entire strength of the nation.; A PROGRESSIVE PEOPLE. The government is wise and liberal. The chiefs do everything in their power to encourage' industrial progress. and the arts o£ civilisation. There are three great industrial institutions in the coun-" try and about 260 public schools, subsidised by the chiefs, which are daily attended by some 25,000 negro children. Every year a number of picked scholars are sent abroad to be educated at foreign universities at public cost. These scholars return to be local teachers'. Signs of progress are abundant in the country. The population is thrifty and industrious. Savings banks abound. Agriculture is the principal industry, but manufacture is steadily increasing. The foreign trade is expanding by leaps and bounds. The Basutos export horses, cattle, wool, meat, meallies, hides, mohair, etc. In exchange they import iron, agricultural implements, and machinery of the latest types, groceries, and large quantities of clothes. Their exports amount annually to about £1,000,000. THE BASUTO ARMY. The Basutos' sense of nationality is strong and well'defined. They cherish their independence above wealth and life itself. They have an army, and above all a history, short perhaps, but not inglorious. This branch of the Bantu race took possession of the tableland in 1820, under the leadership of a great chief named Moshesh., " a man of extraordinary bravery, talent, and resource." Moshesh instantly recognised tho wonderful natural strength and the climatic and | argicultural advantages of tho country, and ho determined to keep it, and build there a stable, self-supporting nation. But he was not allowed to work in peacOi Chaka,, the'famous Zulu king, had long, coveted the tableland, and the seizure of it by Moshesh threw him into a fury. He declared war upon the Basutos and marched against them, with a powerful army. Tho war lasted for four years, and was decided by the battle of Thaba. iSosigo, in which the Basutos were kft comparatively undisturbed and were free to develop tho arts of peace. They wisely took protective measures against the future, and religiously strengthened the natural defences of Thaba Bosigo, an emmence of great strength, having on its top an extensive flat plain with strong springs and fine grazing ground, and so' impregnable indeed that, though resolutely attacked by powerful armies of Boers and English armed with modern weapons, it has never been wrested from the Basuto chiefs whose future home and burial place it was to be. A TEN .YEARS' WAR. From 1850 on they came into collision successively with the Boers, the Zulus, and the British. The military genius of Moshesh and the splendid courage of his subjects enabled him to defeat the Zulus and the Boers, and in 1852 he crusbingly repulsed the attack oE a huge British army under General Sir George Cathcart, who had boasted that "If I make war on JVloshesh, it must be no small war.". In 1858 the Boers declared war on Moshesh and invaded Basutoland. The war lasted ten years. :> In 1865 Moshesh defeated and killed General Wepener in a pitched battle at the famous hill of Thaba Bosigo, driving trie Boers over the border. The Boers, however, soon returned with augmented forces, many of the Transvaal Dutch and the Cape and Natal English, who disliked the idea- of black men beating whites in battle, having come to the aid of the i Free State. . After three years more of desultory fighting Mosbosh saw ruin faoi ing his people and suddenly offered his * country to Britain ia * fief of ths Im.'

perial Crown. The offor was accepted, and" tho Boers were compelled to retire. DEATH OF MOSHESH. Moshesh died soon after, and was buried on the scene of his greatest victories. The Basutos worship his memory, and always will. Subsequently, in 1871, Basutoland was annexed to Gape Colony, despite the protests of the Basutos. In 1879 the Ca.pe Government promulgated a disarmament edict, and the Basutos rose in rebellion. The Cape despatched a large force to put down the rebellion,, but failed to make even an impression upon the sturdy. Basutos, who loved then liberty more than wealth or life itself, and were determined not- to give up their guns and assegais. The Basutos demanded that their allegiance to the British Crown be only of a nominal nature and that they be ruled by then; own chiefs with.the advice of n. Resident Commissioner, and the Cape Government begged the Imperial Government to take the Basuto beehive off its hands. This was done in 1863.

STRICTLY NEUTRAL. ' During the last South African Wai they remained strictly neutral. At the time of the formation of tho South African Union the whites made an attempt to include the Basutos in that union—an event that would have meant the surrender of their independence. The chiefs protested with energy to the Resi'delit Commissioner, but with little success. They then made quiet preparations for eventualities. Some three or four days before the union was proclaimed every ajble-bodied Basuto and Zulu—for the former enemies are now allies in the face of the White Menace—working in Natal and the Orange River Colony suddenly disappeared. On the Basutoland plateau, meanwhile, many thousands of natives stood to their ponies under arms, ready to present arms to the world in defence of their treasured independence, and only waiting the word of their chiefs to pour down through the passes on the comparatively defenceless plains below. But war , was averted. What protests tind pleas had failed to win was achieved by a show of force.