SOUTH AFRICAN PROBLEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1930, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICAN PROBLEMS

BRITISH INFLUENCE WANING.

RACIAL DIFFICULITES

Although South Africa’s gold resources are a great natural advantage, maintaining economic stability, l the Union has many grave problems of its own, such as New Zealand will never have to face. To a reporter at Christchurch, Mr John Beynon, managed of Barclay’s Bank in. Pretoria, who is touring New. Zealand on holiday with his wife, indicated the nature of these problems, and compared his country with the Dominion.

“As far as I can see,’’ he said, “your chief troubles are the weather and earthquakes. You have, after all, only to sit tight until the price of wool improves. But in South Africa, although we have our gold, we have difficult and peculiar problems of race as well.”

It was his opinion i he said, . that British influence in South Africa was waning. The early settlers of the years following the Boer War were gradually disappearing, and their places were being taken by the Hutch. Unfortunately, until recent legislation, the immigrants wqre chiefly from the Jewish European nations, Poland, for instance, and Lithuania, Comparetlvely few British people were entering the country, Mr Beynen had been astounded to find In New Zealand how reverently the people respected the National Anthem, and he was conviced, as well, that theirs was not a flag-waving loyalty. In South Africa there was no such respect for the National Anthem. Indeed, many did not lilce even to regard their country ns part of the British Em pie. THE NATIVE PROBLEM, “Our most serious trouble is this: for every white child born, there are about 12 natives,” he continued. “It is only a matter of calculation to see that some day, in the not very distant future, there must be an economic balance in favour of the native. While the white races fight, the black race* multiply.” Apart from this most serious problem, the racial question in South Arica was a deep and difficult one. No artificial means, he was sure, would ever cement the British and the Dutch. Mutual toleration and appreciation alone would achieve that end. Mr Beynon is hopeful of success in the future, for time has already worked wonders. At present racial strife flared up only from time to time, according to the proximity of an election. There was in the Union a definite Republican feeling, but be thought the Dutch would always realise the economic follv of breaking away from the British Empire. NO LACK OF LEADERS.

A third problem was that of “the poor white” so-called the problem of the settlers of the baekblocks who had gradually degenerated to a state below that of the native. It was almost impossible to deal with them except by educating their children and seeking to build up the standard again. “Perhaps because the general standard of education is not so high in the other Colonies, we have no lack of leaders.” said Mr Beynon. “That is Australia’s prime need at presentleaders for the Common wealth. In South Africa we have had some very strong men. A particularly brilliant statesman has risen lately in J. H. Hofmeyr, for many years administrator of the Transvaal province, whose work now seems to he devoted to the cementing of the British and Dutch friendship.”