SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 137, 19 September 1910, Page 4

SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

It is difficult to say what turn the political tide may take in South Africa now that the elections are over, but it seems certain, on an examination of the Unsatisfactory snatches of the fight one is enabled to read, that the race feeling is still strong. The most notable feature perhaps is that General Louis Botha, the most notable Dutchman in South Africa, is, at least in his protestations, eminently Imperialistic and Nationalistic. He is for the unification of both races. There is nothing extraordinary in the mixing of the two white races in South Africa, but the "old hands" have not yet forgotten the past, and for,a generation or two t]ie racial feeling will be very strong. Botha's platform and tha.t of Dr. Jameson are almost identical, except in the matter of taxation, and it ; s generally understood that Jameson is the champion of the wealthy party that controls the mines. Agriculturally, the South African States are more undeveloped than New Zealand or Australia, and at present the mines are much better able to pay large taxes than are the farmers. An immense amount of importance has been attached to "Hertzogism\ General Hqrtzog is in reality one of the "bitterenders." He sees that with a growing British population in South Africa it is impossible to teaeh the Dutch language solely in the schools, and so advocates the bi-lingual system. One of the reasons for fighting this idea is that English teachers who cannot speak Dutch are unable to obtain places under a system that is controlled by Dutahmen. There is no doubt whatever that whether the two languages are taught in the schools or not, that the average colonist or colonial in South Africa will in the future find it necessary to know both languages, which is a very simple matter where both are heard everyday. It was stated the other, day that for the first time General Botha, the Premier, made an important political speech in English and apologised for inaccuracies. The fact that General Botha, when he commanded the Boer Army ten or eleven years ago, was able to converse in cultured English, shows that not all the news we get from South Africa is reliable. The other important fact that General Botha has a very large political backing of Britishers, and that he holds a veiy strong position indeed, is a promise that the mere question of language will not for long disturb the relationships of the races. Even before the British occupation the majority of Dutch children in the republics spoke both languages.