THE ISHMAEL OF AFRICA. Chamberlain as his Adviser.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 136, 7 February 1903, Page 8

THE ISHMAEL OF AFRICA. Chamberlain as his Adviser.

DISCONTKNT seethed in Cape Colon j long before the war in South Africa commenced, and the fact that the southern end of the great teimtory under British rule was the most pimpeious and thriving section of country on the Dark Continent did not pievent the Dutch, and, incidentally, many English, from very effectively helping the northerners. The bitterness of the Cape Dutch was manifested even during the second month of the war, when the commandoes pitted agamst French's cavalry, at Colesburg, were largely composed cf Dutch Cape colonists, who, undoubtedly, planned to become the southerly portion of a vast Boer Republic. * *■ * The Tiansvaalers and Free Staters who had trekked south prospered under British rule, and the help a large portion of them tendered to their northern brethren was given probably from a sense of racial obligations. These 1 burghers who joined the Republican forces are not the Boers whom Mr. Chamberlain meant, the other day, in Kimberley, when he referred to the aloofness of Cape Colony in regard to a united action welding the great states into one harmon'ous whole It has been prophesied that Cape Colony, pursuing its course of stubbornness, may become the Ishmpel of South Afnoa, and, consequently, that it may be left cut m the cole 1 with never aHa gar to nurture it. ■J -r- ■* When the great South African federation is consummated, the disappointed Cape Colony Dutch, who, unlike their northern brethren, are still bitterly opposed politically to the Impel ial scheme, are not th,c Dutch who bore the heat and burden of the day. They remained under British protection, secure to plot and scheme while their brethren were finding out gradually but surely how useless it was toi kick against the pricks. It can, only be surmised that the Cape Afrikanders are opposed to progress, that they wish to remain in tine ruck (as they did in the war), while the rest of the country hustles 1 and makes itself

capable of supporting hunch eds of millions of Butish subjects. The speeches of Mr. Chamberlain duiing his South African tour tell the world that he has perfectly gauged the feelings of the King's new subjects He finds that, among the subjects, new and old, the old ones are the only ones who desire to give further trouble! He handled them, not delicately, but effectively. Perhaps, even the Afrikander Bond head-quartered in Capetown, can be lashed into line by the Chamberlain tongue. Certainly, the voice of the Empire's emissary has been a weapon that has dealt as effectually with the enemy of accord as the iron hand of the physical conqueroi , Kitchener, dealt with the enemy of the Empire.