GENERAL BOTHA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 4 December 1915, Page 3

GENERAL BOTHA.

A STRIKING SPEECH. During the recent South. African elections, General Louis Botha delivered some striking speeches, though possibly they lacked the virility and eloquence of the utterances of General Smuts. At Mitenhage (writes “AngloSouth African” to the “New Zealand Times”) unparalleled scenes of enthusiasm marked his visit. The General was escorted into town by some three hundred horsemen. In the course of his speech the Prime Minister said: As far as one could see, some people came into the world only- to do mischief, and to make it their special study to see what they could do to bring the two races apart. To those people he would say their time would be short. At the last fight in German West there were Briton and Boer standing together fighting for the same ideal. Men of both races fell together on the battlefield, and one of the most impressive scenes he had ever witnessed was the burial of Boer and Briton in the same grave after the fight, comrades—English and Dutch —standing round the grave praying to fhe same God and singing together to the same God. At. that ceremonv he felt that they could look upon that as our victory also in the Union. So .it would be his dutv and theirs to do their utmost to kid nil racial hatred in the country. To denv it would be contrary to the deepest and highest interests of South Africa.

At, the close of his speech, the South African Prime Minister said: I .saw a South African Renter’s message recently that General staetd that in 1901 General Smuts and I wrote letters fn President Stevn. in which we said we should make for peace, for, in the course of ten or fifteen years afterwards. we would he able to regain cur independence. At Humansdorp, Avhere that statement was made, T replied to it. and there stated that I challenged General TTert/og and gave him the right, so far as I was concerned, to publish any letter or letters which I had written to him. ('Annlause). As, far as mv meniorv cop?;. I entirely deny that T ever wrote such a letter, ond mv on ewer is that even if I had written such a letter. I was at such a time instilled in wr’tinv it. In those da vs T wa s a Republican, and T was *’, Pn to take such stens as T 4-poim'ht T uni. prttiflpd tn take, pad 1 sav this, now that the British Government has made it possible for me to be loyal under the British flag. ('Applause) If I had been horn under the British flag and had prown up under the British flay. I would not put a pro-German question.