Neglect of Needs of African Natives Alleged by Smuts

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 43, 6 March 1937, Page 18

Neglect of Needs of African Natives Alleged by Smuts

JOHANNESBUEG;

"I- am sure that we have abnost criminally neglected our duty to the: non-European population of South Africa," ,Gen. Jan Christian Smuts,' Minister of Justice, said at a conference on social welfare here — the first of its kind'to be called on South Africa. "T4;hink that our eonscience has not been suffieiently stirred in tMs matter, not because 'the people of tMs country. are bad or selfish people, but because we have not yet adjusted our viewpoints to the new situation. "You will find Europeans. in South Africa going to great lengths to assist missionary effort. . They will subscribe enormous suios of moneyj they will go to any length to kelp foreign lands — the further from South Africa the better. That is human nature. I do not blame South Africans in particular. You kave tke same thing in England and -in every otker- country. ... . "I .kave always felt— and I am not singular in tkat f eeling — that our function in South' Africa ' is not' merely; to build up a nice and good home- for- ourselves as a European community, but to kindle a light. on this continent wMeh will light the way for every man borit into this continent. We shall fail and we shall fail profoundly in this mattei of social serviee, unless .we give very grave attention .to the hard cases, the pitiable cases, among the natives, the coloured and the Indian ia South : Africa. "It has been our habitual attitude to pass by oa the other • side, to looJs the other way, and the time kas come for us, as a European comimunity, tp feel our duty and to carry it out." Tke Government, ke said, was slowly beginning to grapple witk this side of its task — all too slowly because it was hampered a great deal by public opinion wMch did not give its support. He hoped that this sense of civic responsibility would grow up and not merely cover their duty fo their wMte brothers and sisters, but to all of those who were with them on the African continent.