The Stratford Evening Post WITHS WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27,1915. SOUTH AFRICA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 49, 27 October 1915, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITHS WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27,1915. SOUTH AFRICA.

In even- part-of the British Dominions there will he the most complete satisfaction at the victo'ry ol General Louis Botha ami the thirty of which he is the leading man in the, recent South African elections. '1 hough he had rendered such splendid service for the Empire and though also the great body of public opinion is with him in the main, the traitorous and undermining work of General Hertzog. an embittered and narrow-minded representative of the old Boer element, had „ wide effect in more remote places ol the hack-veldt. Once- closely associated in political life as they had been previously in warfare, there came a ..Teat cleavage when Hertzog leaned towards '"Germany and Botha deary pointed to the only path for loyal and honest men whom Britain had treatec with the fullest measure of confidence and generosity. The complete crushing of the conspiracy which, with German aid. hoped to overthrow British rule, added fuel to the fire of wrath and bitterness of the Hertzog.tos, and thev energetically set themselves to work to upset General Botha and his Government. It is exceedingly good that thev have failed, because apart from the blow at Botha h.insell, such averse would have interfere! sonoils]v with the future of South Alnea in her relations with other Dominions of onr great Empire. It has been well said that South Africa is a mysterious land, a land of paradoxes and surprises. and one has to accept whatever happens, as it may fall out. h m interesting to note that in the time ol trouble his erstwhile opponents, principally composed of the British section of the South African legislative assembly and led by Sir T. Smartt. sank their political differences, and recognising that General Botha was the man of the moment, gave him loyal support, and by their votes actually keeping him in office. In the election just ended Sir Thomas Smartt’s followers, known as the Unionists, worked in complete accord with the supporters of General Botha against the revolutionary Nationalists and that disturbing and powerlnl element in] South African polities—Labor. i he^ final figures show that the Bothaite.S| and Unionists have gained a very ( handsome majority at the polls. It cause for satisfaction that the extremists have failed completely in their effort to carry the Dutch population with them against General Botha. D is a pretty clear indication that there is not the slightest wish to come under the tender mercies of Kaisordom. .

“BELGIUM'S AGONY.’’ Emile Verhaeren, the Belgian poet, in his new hook, “Belgium’s Agony’’ : “The spirit of to-day, wrought of pride and liberty, wrought of human reason and human idealism, wrought of an emotion infectious and splendidly dangerous, the spirit of to-day, which is little more than a hundred years old, and the strength and brilliance of which time has not yet; brought fully to light, is most utterly opposed to the spirit oi Germany. is the former and not the latter which| is young, and which turns its iaee for-, ward to the future. It is ( th§ former spirit alone that contains the seed of the future, and enables man to adapt himself to new conditions of life; that gives him strength to accomplish the inevitable evolution. It is the ioniter, spirit alone that enshrines the ever-growing strength and the ultimate salvation of the world. And of this spirit, thou, Belgium, art the symbol Thou, even before France and England, delicdst the cruel power of Germany. Never has greater honor been thine, honor which thou hast won with a heroism, simple and magnificent. What matter that at this moment thou art bleeding and in Agony! Never hast thou been more lovely never more beloved.”