LATE GENERAL BOTHA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3329, 6 November 1919, Page 6

LATE GENERAL BOTHA.

FUNERAL IN PRETORIA. . SOUTH IA_£FRICA’S ‘GRIEF. “A FRIEND BEYOND COMPARE]? The funeral of the plate General Botha took place at Pretoria on Aug-y ust 30. ,It was a sad day for South Africa, writes a correspondent, and the great soldier-statesman was laid to rest amid demonstrations of personal grief and tributes of affectionPrctoria, which was draped in black and purple, was thronged With enornious crowds, who had flocked to the capital from all parts of the coun-‘E try_ There was one wonderul change 1 since the days of Kruger. While the Dutch, many of whom were hardy, bearded farmers, were again even?where to be seen, there was an equal number of British, both uniting in "the church and over the grave of General Botha. Thousands of floral of—ferings were sent, from the highest to the humblest Afrieander. There were many military men and civil servants in the congregation, and the church was so crowded that people were standing in almost every available inch along the aisles and outside passages. To the strains of “The Dead March’; General Smuts ontered the church at the head of _the Ministers, followed by" Messrs Malan' and Burton, and the veteran Administrator of the Cape, Sir Frederick de Waal. General Smuts proceeded to 3' the vestry to lead Mrs_ Botha, who] Was in deepest mourning, to a front‘ seat, with her sons and daughetrs and I other near relatives. Then Gen--eral Smuts, ‘took his teat at the head; of the row of ‘ Hinisters. The weeping of stalwart burghers and the gentler sobbing of women were audible thn:-ugh()l“u‘. the chuch. | LOSSOF A GREAT LEADER. In an eloquent address at the graveside, Gcneral Smuts, speaking amid an impressive silence, pronouncedaeulogyl of his dead friend. In a great and inspiring passage regarding the quality of General -B'otha’s friend.ship, he described the dead general as “a friend beyond compare.” 4 General Smuts, on behalf of'the Government and of Mrs Botha, thanked ‘« all present for paying the last honour « - to General Botha, and particularly‘ thanked His Majesty the King. Gen-|~

eral Smuts dwelt with deep feeling‘ on the. irreparable loss of the great leader, whose death had caused a! wave of the deepest emotion through-" out ‘-the whole of South Africa, in all parts, all races ,and all parties. “To—day, at his grave,” he con'tinued,. “we are all united by a. deep feeling at our nnational loss in this feeling at our national loss in this great work d rected the unity of the people of '_South Africa. Only recently General Bctha saw the whole of Europe torn by wild passions, and he returned to South Africa more than‘ ever convinced that salvation and] healing» would only be found in a new’: spirit of humanity, and in forgiv ngl and forgetting old differences and; wrong.” l ONE LAND AND ONE PEOPLE. "From his grave to—day Botha speaks more eloquently than ever to his people, “His soul lives» on as a nobler power and a lofty inspirat on to our young Commonwealth; From this " grave the ideal of ‘one land, one people,’ will grow ever stronger and greater. With one exceplfion. they _h_av_e all gone; the great figures of thei ‘Transvaal and the Free S'tate——-..T011 bert, Kruger, Fischer, Delarey,Steyn,l Sehalk Burger, and now the youngest, and, in many respects, the great-' est, Louis Botha, De Wet alone re‘ and he is prevente-'_J_ fI'9TI.I. tending 10-day 5;,’ ‘lull?-‘\,‘S. After the! intimate friendship and unlorol:-an cooperation of "21 years-,'lhJ.Vethel'ightl lEO 0&1]. ‘Zothta «the largest, most beau-ii.-it'ul, mid sweetest soul of all my land and days, great in life and happy ‘in deatth. Our prayers and love will" be. with Mrs Botha all her days.” ;A‘ VERSAILLES '[NCIIDENsT. In conclusion, General Smuts men~ ‘cloned ‘the following example of General Botha’s noble and magnanimous character:— a “In the Hall of Mirrors at Ver-3 sailleg on June 28,” he Said, “the German 'representa|tiVe.=. lwdre cnll?ed on .to sign the Peace Treaty.witll its inevitable humiliation. General Botha surveyed the scene. and wrote on h_is agenda paper the following Vwords. "Grod’s judgments win be applied with justice to all peoples under tthe new sun, and we shall prcsevere in pifayer that they ‘lhay be applied Ito mankind in charity and peace and 21 Christian spirit. To-day I think beck to ,May, 1902.”’ (The signing of' the fr}-eaty of Verceniging.) _ ‘ " '